My Summer Away
by Mistress Katt
Summary: Dawn, May, Leaf, and Misty are going on vacation for the whole summer. Dawn isn't so fond of leaving her boyfriend, Kenny, behind, but she meets someone who makes her question her current relationship. Will she choose to tread the dangerous path, or the safe one? (Ikari, Contest, Poke, and Oldrivalshipping.)
1. Chapter 1: Vacation

Hello all! Welcome to my new story! It'll have Ikarishipping, Contestshipping, Pokeshipping, and OldRivalshipping. The main focus is Ikarishipping, but there will be a pretty good amount of the other three too.

The girls are all seventeen in this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

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Dawn rummaged through her closet, picking out the clothes she was going to take on vacation with her. They were so lucky! Leaf had won the academic contest at school this year, and the prize was a vacation to Undella Town in the Unova region. She was allowed to bring three people with her, and after hours of begging her parents to let her take Dawn, May, and Misty instead of them, they finally gave in.

"I guess there will be adult supervision," her mother had sighed, causing the four girls to cheer in excitement.

Dawn put a few more pairs of shorts into her suitcase, and then zipped it up. The suitcase was pink, and sat next to a smaller, lighter pink carry-on. She opened the carry-on and made sure everything she'd need on the plane was inside: Ipod, snacks, the book she was currently reading, a notebook, and some tampons (just in case).

The plane ride wasn't supposed to be too long, so she wasn't concerned about not having enough to do. She knew that her friends would keep her occupied for most of it anyways.

Now there was only one thing left to do. Dawn pulled out her pink Pokegear and shot a text to her boyfriend Kenny.

_ C u in 5 mins?_

Soon, a response came.

_Sure :) ur place?_

Dawn smiled.

_Ya ;)_

She looked in the mirror to check her hair and makeup, and smiled when she saw that she looked pretty good. She always worried about how she looked in front of Kenny. One time she'd answered the door with no makeup on, and there he was standing there. She'd been expecting the mailman or a Jehovah's witness or something. It really embarrassed her and she ran upstairs and put makeup on before she would even talk to him.

It seemed silly, even to her, but Dawn just didn't feel comfortable being around someone she cared about so much without feeling 100% flawless.

Soon, Kenny arrived and rang the doorbell. Dawn rushed to let him in, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I'm really going to miss you, Dee Dee," Kenny said as they sat on the couch. "I can't believe that you'll really be gone all summer."

"I promise to Email you every chance I get," Dawn promised, leaning on his shoulder. "And I'm sure that Barry and Lucas will keep you entertained."

"It just won't be the same without you here," he said, kissing her forehead. That kiss lead to others, and soon they were making out on the couch. They knew it would be the last time that they could for a while.

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As the afternoon turned to evening, Kenny left, and Dawn gathered her bags and waited outside for Leaf to pick her up. Misty was going to pick up May, and they'd leave the two cars at the airport until they returned. Their parents had promised to check on them once in a while since the airport wasn't too far away.

Dawn sat on her doorstep wearing a pair of jean shorts and a pink spaghetti-strap tank top.

_I'm really going to miss Kenny. Maybe this isn't such a good idea..._

The sound of a car horn pulled Dawn out of her thoughts, and she saw that Leaf's green car was sitting right in front of her. She got up and carried her bags to the back of the car and put them into the trunk with Leaf's green ones.

"Hey," said Leaf as Dawn got in the passenger seat. "You ready for this?" She was wearing white jean shorts and a neon green halter top.

"Yes!" said Dawn excitedly, pushing away her earlier doubts. "This is going to be the best vacation ever! I'm so glad that you're a smarty pants!"

Leaf smirked at that. "Well, I am one of the most academically talented students that our school has ever had. But I'm sure there will be an even smarter student staying in the hotel. I heard that a few other schools gave away the same prize this year."

"So there will be other people our age? Yes!" cheered Dawn. "Maybe there will be some cute guys for you, Misty, and May to flirt with!"

"Well... I wouldn't mind meeting a smart guy," Leaf admitted. As long as he's not an asshole."

Dawn gave a crooked smile to her friend. Leaf was always so picky. She'd never really dated anyone because she said there weren't any boys mature enough for her at their school. Dawn didn't really understand that.

They continued to talk as Leaf drove. Their conversation ranged from good books to cute dresses, and soon, they were at the airport. After a quick text to Misty, they figured out where May had already parked, and Leaf parked her green car next to May's red one.

The four girls all unloaded their suitcases, and dragged the luggage into the airport. Their vacation was just getting started!

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Dawn suddenly was regretting not bringing more entertainment for the plane ride. May was seated next to her, passed out and snoring rather loudly. Misty was listening to music, and Leaf was reading a thick book.

_It wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't forgotten to charge my Ipod._

Dawn sighed and looked over at May. She'd been reading the brochure for Undella Town before she'd fallen asleep. She reached over and took it right out of her hand. May could sleep through anything.

As she flipped through the colorful brochure, she began to get excited. There was an awesome beach, a mall, and several restaurants that looked absolutely delicious.

May stirred in her seat. "Max... give my hairbrush back," she muttered, still sleeping.

"Wow. She even fights with him in her dreams," giggled Dawn quietly. She sat in silence for a few moments while thinking of what to do next. She decided to take out the notebook that she'd brought along.

She doodle with a pink gel pen, making a perfect heart. She wrote 'Dawn + Kenny' inside of it. She wasn't quite sure what to do next. The picture needed something more, but she wasn't sure what. She flipped the page, and decided that she'd come back and finish it when she figured out what was missing.

On the next page, she tried to draw Piplup with a blue gel pen, but his head came out looking a bit crooked. She drew an X through the picture and turned to a new page.

She started sketching a dress. She'd always been into fashion design. She'd even get to take a class on it next year as a senior. She drew a strapless ball gown with long, flowing layers in the skirt. The bodice was sparkly and snug, showing off the figure of whoever wore it. Black beads decorated the bodice in a swirly pattern.

_May would look awesome in this dress. I'll color it red._

Dawn took a red colored pencil and shaded in the dress. It was perfect.

Then, an announcement came over the plane.

"We will be landing shortly. Please prepare to exit the plane."

Dawn hadn't even noticed how much time had passed. She reached over and shook May awake.

"What?" asked May sleepily.

"We're almost there," Dawn said.

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That's chapter one! Please review and tell me what you think!


	2. Chapter 2: Arrival

Okay, chapter two coming right up! Thank you to everyone who reviewed/followed/favorited this story. It means a lot to me :) I also appreciate anonomys reviews, so don't be shy if you don't have an account.

Also, I forgot to mention where the girls are from, so... let's go with Shinnoh, since Dawn's the main character. They're from Jubilife City. Sound good?

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

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After the plane landed, the four girls went to retrieve their luggage. It wasn't hard to spot the bright pink, green, red, and blue suitcases on the conveyor belt.

As they were walking to the front of the airport, Leaf explained that they would take a bus to the hotel, and that it would be a very short ride.

Dawn checked her Poketch to see what time it was. She'd lost track during their flight. The device read 8:00 a.m. They'd basically been on the plane all night.

Outside, the air was really warm, even though it was morning. There was a slight breeze that carried the scent of the ocean on it, and the unfamiliar smell excited Dawn, but it seemed to excite Misty even more. There were even palm trees in the distance, outlined by the rising sun.

The moment was ruined by the sound of a Pokegear ringing.

Misty reached into her pocket and pulled out her aqua-colored Pokegear. Unfortunately, she didn't check the caller ID before answering.

"Hello?" she said. Her face went pale after a few seconds, and then changed to a light pink. After that, she turned an angry red.

"Go to hell!" she yelled at the Pokegear before closing it firmly.

The other girls stared at her with concern on their faces. "Was it Rudy?" asked May gently.

"Yes! Yes it was Rudy! And you wouldn't believe what he said! He was trying to get me back _again,_ and his reason this time was that I'd never find anyone better than _him_!" The ginger girl kicked her suitcase, which was sitting on the ground, causing it to fall over.

Dawn wanted to help her friend. Rudy was always trying to get Misty to come back to him after he cheated on her. Twice.

"Don't worry Misty," Dawn said reassuringly. "You're going to find someone a thousand times better than him. Someone who respects you and loves you." Leaf and May agreed with her and offered their own words of encouragement. Misty gave a soft smile at her friends' effort, but Dawn could tell that Misty was still upset.

Soon, the bus came. It was a tour bus that they could put their large suitcases underneath, and they took their carry-on bags with them. This time, Dawn sat with Misty, and Leaf sat with May.

The ride was short, just as Leaf had promised. Soon, they had pulled up to a tall blue and white hotel. It was huge! And right on the beach!

"Awe, this is sweet!" May shouted, leaning over Leaf to get a better look out the window. Leaf shoved the girl with the red bandana back into her own seat.

"At least wait until we're off the bus before you go crazy," she said with a smile.

The bus came to a stop, and the four girls got off along with everyone else. They were tired of having to lug their heavy suitcases around, and they were glad that they just had to get them up to their room before they could unpack them.

The ran inside of the hotel so that they could get to the front desk ahead of everyone else. The last thing they wanted to do was wait in a line to get their key.

"Hello," said the desk attendant. "I assume that you're here because of the academic contest?"

"Yes," replied Leaf. "I'm the winner from Jubilife High School."

"Ah, then you're room number is 237," he said, handing them each a room key. "It is on the fifth floor. There will be breakfast at 9 o'clock, which is in twenty minutes. Most of the other schools have already arrived, so I suggest that you hurry," he said with a smile.

"Thank you," the girls said, and then they took off for the elevators. They rode up to the fifth floor and quickly located their room.

"Oh my Arceus!" Dawn exclaimed when they opened the door. "This is beautiful!" The room had two king-size beds with ocean-blue sheets on them. There was a large desk with a phone in the corner, and a comfy looking white chair in another corner. There was even a little kitchen with a microwave and a table for four. Out the window was a view of the sea, sparkling in the morning sunlight, the waves rippling onto the white sand. The window also had a blue curtain at the side.

"It's incredible! I can't believe that we get to stay here all summer and do whatever we want!" Misty said.

"Well, not exactly whatever we want," Leaf warned. "Don't get us kicked out or anything. And I have to attend a few lectures as part of my prize. I even get to attend a marine biology seminar and study Pokemon in the ocean on one of the days, but most of my time will be free with you guys!"

"I wonder how many other schools gave this prize away?" Dawn asked.

"Oh! Breakfast!" May said, reminding them that they were supposed to hurry. The four girls quickly brushed their hair and changed their clothes. And Dawn redid her makeup. The other three girls decided to go without.

Soon, they were leaving their hotel room and heading back for the elevators. May was wearing a red halter tank with black shorts and red Converse, and of course, her red bandana. Dawn wore a pink tube top with white shorts and casual pink flats. Misty wore a dark blue tank with inch thick straps and a pair of worn out jean shorts, and lighter blue flip flops. Leaf wore a long green spaghetti strap tank that passed her butt, and knee length jean shorts. Green flip flops adorned her feet.

When they reached the room where breakfast was being served specifically to the high school vacationers, they were surprised to see a pretty large group of students. There were about ten tables, each with eight chairs around them, and they were almost all full.

They went through the buffet and got their food, then scanned the room, looking for an empty table, or at least one with four empty seats.

"There," said Misty, pointing to a table. It was true that it had four empty seats, but there were also four boys sitting at it. It was the only open table though, so the girls had no choice but to take it.

"I hope they aren't assholes," said Misty. "I really don't want to deal with stupid guys right now."

"Let me handle it," Dawn said. She put on her best flirtatious smile, and headed for the table, the other girls following.

"Hi. Are these seats taken?" she asked the boys sweetly.

"Nope," said a boy with raven hair. "You can sit here if you want. My name's Ash!" His friends glared at him for making the decision for all of them, but they didn't seem to mind once they looked over the girls.

Dawn smirked inwardly. She knew she could get them some seats, but now she would tone down the flirting. She was taken after all, and the last thing she wanted to do was lead someone on by accident.

"So," said Leaf, taking a seat. "Which one of you four is the smart one?"

"Me," said a boy with spiky brown hair, flashing her an award-winning smile. "And I'm guessing that you're the smart one in your group of friends? That's odd, because the cutest one isn't usually the smartest one."

Leaf blushed at his words. "And the player of the group usually isn't the smart one either," she responded.

He was surprised at her words, but he didn't let that trip him. "My name is Gary, by the way. I'm planning on becoming a Pokemon professor just like my grandfather, Professor Oak."

"Professor Oak is _your _grandfather," Leaf said in disbelief.

"Ouch. Don't sound so surprised," said Gary, faking hurt feelings. "And you didn't even introduce yourself."

"My name is Leaf," she said coolly. "I'm interested in business and in Pokemon medical studies."

Gary nodded. "Both of those are good professions."

A guy with green hair elbowed Gary in the side. "Why don't you shut up and let the rest of us talk?" he said. "We're all from Veilstone High. My name is Drew," he said, turning to the girls. He flicked his green hair with his hand. " You already met Ash. And over there is Paul. He doesn't talk much though, and when he does it's usually to complain about something."

Dawn stared over at the boy named Paul. He had beautiful lavender hair that looked really soft. He stared blankly ahead, as though he wasn't even there.

"Uh, Dawn?" said Misty, poking the bluenette.

"Huh?" said Dawn.

"Care to introduce us?"

"Oh, sure," said Dawn, regaining her composure. " We're from Jubilife High. I'm Dawn, the ginger is Misty, and the one with pig tails is May."

Drew smirked and pulled a rose out from behind his back. "Nice to meet you September, I mean, February," he said, tossing the rose at May.

She caught it and looked back up at Drew.

"My name is _May_," she said. "And why did you give me this rose?"

"If you don't want it, then I'll take it back," Drew said, reaching out.

"No! I'll keep it! But not because it's from you," May added quickly, causing Drew to once again smirk.

Ash sat with a large plate of breakfast food in front of him. Three empty plates were already stacked behind them. "This food is pretty good, huh?" he said with a mouthful of bacon and eggs.

"Yeah," replied Misty, taking a bite of hash browns. She always ate more than the other girls because she exercised so much being a year-round athlete.

Dawn wanted to get Paul to say something, so she decided to ask him a question. "Do you play any sports?" she asked. She knew that guys liked to talk about sports.

The only response she got was a glare and a grunt.

"Should I take that as a no?" she asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Don't mind Paul, Dawn. But no, he doesn't play any sports," Gary said. "I, for one, play soccer and basketball," he said, stretching a bit to show off his body.

"I play soccer too," said Leaf. "And I bet I could beat you any day."

The auburn-haired boy glared at her, and was about to retort before May interrupted him.

"Dawn and I play volleyball, and I also do track!" she said. "And Dawn's a cheerleader!"

That caught Paul's attention, but not in a good way. He stared at her in disgust. "Whore," he muttered quietly, so only Dawn could hear him. She shot him a look of disbelief, and Ash asked what sports Misty played.

"Tennis, swim team, and track," Misty said. "What about you?"

"I run cross country, and track," he said. "I think I remember seeing you at one of the meets."

"Maybe," she replied.

"And last but not least, I play football, and basketball," said Drew.

"Maybe we could all play some sports together while we're here," suggested Dawn, causing Paul to glare at her again. It was obvious that he didn't want to spend any more time than necessary with the girls.

Gary, Drew, and Ash all thought it was a good idea though.

"They actually have a competition here over the summer," said Drew. "They host a doubles volleyball tournament, surfing contest, swimming contest, and a few different beach races. We should all compete in those. They even have sign-ups starting tomorrow, but the actual events aren't until next month."

"Awesome!" said Misty. "We should definitely do that!"

They all agreed except for Paul, who Ash finally convinced to sign up for volleyball with him. Or at least, he gave a grunt after minutes of begging that Ash assumed meant he was giving in.

This vacation had already become more interesting.

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And there's chapter 2! Hope you liked it. Please review :)

Sometimes the focus will be on everyone instead of just Dawn, but most of the time it'll be on her. And once in a while there will be some focus on just the guys or just Paul, so it'll jump around a bit, but it'll be fairly organized and not at all confusing. Everything will flow smoothly, I promise :)


	3. Chapter 3: Challenge!

Chapter three! I really enjoy typing this story :) I've never been so eager to update before! Thank you for reviewing everyone! The reviews inspire me to update sooner and write better! Hope you enjoy chapter three!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

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After breakfast, the girls decided that they should spend their first day touring Undella Town. They wanted to see what this place had to offer, and they also wanted to get used to the town since they'd be spending all summer here.

Currently, they were walking down one of the streets, eyes glowing at all of the cute shops.

"This is totally cool!" said May. "It's like a little village where everyone walks instead of driving! And there are so many different stores and food joints!"

"Let's go in this store!" suggested Dawn. They were standing in front of a cute little clothing shop. It was small, but if you looked in the window you could tell that everything inside was completely unique.

The four girls entered the shop. A girl with pink hair was at the counter, and she greeted them and said she'd be happy to answer any questions.

Dawn loved to shop. It was no secret that the girl could easily spend way too much money when she got carried away. This usually resulted in her father freezing her credit card though.

As she sifted through the racks, she had to restrain herself from grabbing everything that was cute, because just about everything in the store was.

"You know what?" Leaf asked from across the room. "We should challenge ourselves to each buy something that isn't our usual color. I mean, when was the last time Dawn wore something that wasn't pink?"

Dawn huffed. "And when was the last time you wore something that wasn't green?" she retorted.

May giggled as she went through a rack of decorated jeans. "I'm game for it if you guys are," she said.

"Me too," said Misty. "I was thinking that I might look good in yellow."

Dawn searched the racks some more.

_What's the closest color to pink? Purple!_

She looked for something purple to buy. She thought the color would probably suit her as well as pink did. Eventually, she found a light purple zebra-print halter top that was absolutely adorable. It even had sparkles on the darker stripes.

"That's too cute, Dawn!" said May, walking up holding a black lace top that would look good over the white tank top she also held.

"Thanks! And that's just plain adorable! Do you think I could borrow it sometime?" Dawn asked.

"Sure! If I can borrow that," May said.

"Deal."

Misty joined them carrying a light yellow off the shoulder top, and then Leaf had a sunset orange sun dress in hand.

The girls admired each others' findings and then purchased the outfits. When they left the store, it was almost lunch time. After debating where to eat, they decided on a cafe that looked like it was good, and wasn't too crowded.

Inside, they examined the menu. Dawn thought that everything looked delicious, but she was always worried about eating restaurant food what with all the fat and oil. She ordered a salad and some tea. Misty ordered a cheeseburger and fries and some soda. Leaf ordered some chicken and mashed potatoes and water. And May ordered a hot dog and some macaroni and cheese with some juice.

For once, they weren't talking. Dawn wanted to start a conversation, but she wasn't sure what to talk about that all four of them would be interested in. Then she got an idea.

"So, what did you think of those boys this morning?" she asked.

Leaf froze mid bite, her fork hanging in the air halfway to her mouth. Misty and May just stared ahead blankly.

"What?" Dawn asked, confused.

"Gary is such a sorry excuse for a smart kid! I mean, calling me cute like that? Players aren't smart!" Leaf ranted.

"And Drew gave May that rose," Misty added with a smirk. They'd briefly gone back to the hotel room before leaving, and May had put the flower in a cup with water. "She's even trying to preserve it."

"It would be rude and inconsiderate to just let it die!" May explained.

"Sure," they all said with sly grins. May turned the same color as the rose.

"Well... Dawn kept staring at that creepy Paul guy!" May said, trying to get the subject off of herself. Her plan worked as Misty and Leaf both turned their focus to the bluenette.

Dawn just sat in shock at May's accusation, but quickly recovered.

"I wasn't staring at him! He even called me a whore under his breath!"

The other three girls gasped. "He did what?!" they all asked.

"It was after May mentioned that I'm a cheerleader. He just... glared at me and said it, but no one else heard," Dawn said, poking her salad with her fork.

"Well... he's just a grumpy child. He probably has self esteem issues and takes it out on everyone else," Leaf said.

"Yeah. He's probably on his man period," added Misty.

Dawn giggled at that and instantly felt better. "And Misty certainly caught Ash's attention."

"What?" asked Misty in disbelief.

"He was asking you questions and he didn't even look at the rest of us," May agreed.

"He was totally interested," Leaf said.

"No. He was just being friendly. Ash isn't into me at all," Misty said, shaking her head.

Dawn felt bad for her ginger friend. She obviously wasn't interested in Ash because she was still stressing over Rudy. She made a plan to try and get Ash and Misty together during this vacation. She was pretty sure that the others were thinking the same thing.

"Speaking of the guys," said Leaf, pointing out the window. Outside the four boys were getting ready to enter the restaurant.

"Do you think they'll try to sit with us?" asked Dawn. Her question was answered by Ash, who pointed at the girls and dragged his friends over to the table. Coincidentally, they had four empty seats.

"Hey, babe," Gary said, draping his arm over Leaf's shoulders. In response she shrugged his arm off and punched him in the gut.

"Awe! Look at Ash's Pikachu!" Dawn squealed. The little yellow mouse Pokemon sat atop Ash's head.

"What do you think of my Pikachu, Misty?" he asked.

"I don't really like electric types," she responded. Dawn kicked her under the table. She kicked her back.

"Oh," said Ash, sliding into the seat next to Misty. "Pikachu hates being in his pokeball, but the hotel rules say that Pokemon have to be kept in balls at all times when inside the building."

"I'm sure all of our Pokemon would love to come out when we go to the beach tomorrow," May said. "Especially Misty's because they're all water types!"

"You're a water type specialist, Misty? That's so cool!" Ash said excitedly.

"Yeah. I love water types," Misty said. "And you're right, May. I'm sure my Pokemon would love to go for a swim."

"I bet May has a bunch of cutesy Pokemon that aren't very strong," said Drew with a flick of his hair. "In fact, she probably doesn't have any Pokemon at all."

"My Pokemon are plenty strong!" insisted May. "I bet they could kick your Pokemon into the dust! Oh, and thanks for using my real name!"

The green-haired boy smirked. "You've already challenged us to sports, so now you want to challenge us to battles too?" he asked.

"Yes!" shouted May.

Gary and Ash looked interested. "What should the rules be?" asked Gary.

"Wait, we didn't agree to this!" Leaf said.

"Too bad, Leafy! We're all in this together!" May informed her.

"She just wants to save herself the embarrassment of losing to me," stated Gary cockily.

"You're on!" Leaf declared. "Misty? Dawn?"

"I'm game," Misty said.

"Me too! As long as I get to battle him!" Dawn said, standing up and pointing to Paul. The silent boy looked taken aback, but didn't protest.

"Fine. I'll beat some sense into your ditzy little cheerleader head."

Dawn burned with rage. "I want to go first!" she demanded.

"Wait. Let's make this more interesting," Drew said with a smirk, rubbing his hands together. "If us guys win more battles than you girls, then you all have to go on dates with us next week. Leaf with Gary, Misty with Ash, Dawn with Paul, and May with yours truly."

"No way!" shouted Dawn. "I have a boyfriend!"

"Scared that you'll lose?" Paul taunted. "He'll probably break up with you before next week anyways since you're not there to sleep with him right now."

Dawn shook with rage, her slender hands clenching into fists and turning her knuckles white. Her azure eyes lit into blue flames.

"You've got yourselves a challenge boys! And we won't be going on dates with you because we're going to win!"

Misty and Leaf had to hold the bluenette back because she looked like she was about to kick the crap out of Paul.

"Okay!" said Gary. "Let's start the battles right now! There's a arena just down the road."

"Let's go!" yelled Dawn.

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"The rules are simple. One Pokemon each. If there's a tie at the end, then we'll send our best battler in and go into sudden death. Sound good?" Drew asked. Everyone nodded their heads. "Then first up is Dawn VS. Paul!"

Dawn stood facing the lavender-haired boy. She was determined to beat him and show him that she was strong as well as smart.

"Piplup, spotlight!" she yelled releasing her most trusted friend and partner.

"Torterra, stand by for battle!" commanded Paul.

Dawn gulped at the size of the grass Pokemon that had just been released. _That Pokemon is huge!_

"No need to worry, Piplup! We can totally win this!" Dawn shouted. The little penguin Pokemon chirped in agreement. "Use Ice Beam!"

Piplup released a beam of ice towards the massive Pokemon.

"Torterra, counter it with energy ball!" Paul yelled. Torterra released a powerful glowing green orb from its mouth. It flew at the oncoming Ice Beam and shattered it, finally hitting Piplup in the face.

"Aah! Piplup! Are you okay?" Piplup sat up and got to its feet, waving off Dawn's concern. "Great! Use peck this time!" Piplup ran towards Torterra, its beak glowing white.

Paul gave no command, and the attack hit Torterra head on.

"All right!" cheered Dawn. "That's super effective!"

"Torterra, use crunch!"

The tortoise Pokemon grasped Piplup in its jaws.

"Oh no!" gasped Dawn in horror. "He was just waiting for us to get close! Piplup!"

Torterra continued to squeeze the little Pokemon, causing Piplup to cry in pain. Tears formed in Dawn's eyes.

"Stop! You win! Let Piplup go!" she yelled. Torterra dropped the little penguin Pokemon and Dawn ran to it. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Pip. Piplup," said Piplup before going unconscious.

"Your baby Pokemon is pathetic," Paul said as he returned Torterra to its pokeball.

Dawn returned Piplup as well and glared at Paul.

"Guys one, girls zero!" Gary said. "How about you and me go next Leafy?"

"It's Leaf! And let's go!"

The two teenagers ran onto opposite sides of the battle field. They stared each other down as they decided what Pokemon to pick.

Gary chose first. "Umbreon, Go!" The black cat-like Pokemon appeared, it's yellow rings glowing in anticipation.

"Jigglypuff, let's do this!" Leaf cried. The pink Pokemon came out smiling, but just as determined as its opponent.

"Umbreon, use Shadow Ball!" Gary ordered, not wasting any time. With a flick of its head, Umbreon released a powerful Shadow Ball from its mouth.

"Float upwards, Jigglypuff!" Leaf commanded. The round Pokemon puffed up and floated up slowly, just barely dodging the attack. "Now use Sing!"

Jigglypuff sent waves of music toward Umbreon.

"Protect!" commanded Gary. A blue semi-sphere protected Umbreon from the attack. "Now use Bite!"

During this time, Jigglypuff had descended to the ground. "Wait for it to get closer!" Leaf said. Umbreon was running at the pink Pokemon, jaws ready to attack. "Now! Use Double Slap!" Leaf yelled.

Jigglypuff swiped Umbreon's head to the side, then repeated the motion several more times. Umbreon leapt backwards away from Jigglypuffs stubby arms.

"Use Take Down!" Gary yelled.

"Defense Curl!" Leaf shouted. Jigglypuff tucked in its ears and arms. Umbreon hit it dead on, and Jigglypuff went flying through the air. When it landed, it rolled backwards onto it's feet, making the fall less painful.

"Now use Rollout!" Leaf commanded. Jigglypuff began rolling towards Umbreon with incredible speed.

"No! Rollout is more powerful after using Defense Curl!" yelled Gary. "Dodge it, Umbreon!" But it was too late. Umbreon had already taken damage from using Take Down, and was knocked out by the intensified Rollout move.

"We won!" Leaf cried in happiness.

"And the score is all tied up!" May cheered.

"Let's go next, Misty!" suggested Ash.

"All right," she agreed.

Before they chose Pokemon, Ash said that he wouldn't use Pikachu since all of Misty's Pokemon were water types, and he felt that it wouldn't be fair.

"Thanks, but I don't need a handicap!" said Misty, pulling out her pokeball. "Starmie, go!" she yelled. But before she could throw the ball, a flash of red came from her bag and a Psyduck appeared on the field.

"What? No!?"

"You can't switch out, Misty! You have to battle with Psyduck!" Drew informed her. She wanted to go bash her head into a brick wall.

"Buizel, I choose you!" yelled Ash, releasing his own water type Pokemon. "I'll fight water with water!" he said. "Use Aqua Jet!" Buizel became encased in water and sped toward Psyduck. It was a dead on hit.

"There's only one way that I'm going to win this! I'm sorry, Psyduck, but it's for your own good!" Misty pulled out her mallet and whacked Psyduck on the head.

"Woah! What are you doing?!" Ash yelled.

Psyduck began flailing around on the floor while Buizel stood there watching in confusion. Soon, it sat completely still, and began glowing with psychic energy. With a cry, it released all of that energy out on Buizel.

Buizel was sent flying across the room by a Confusion attack, and was then bombarded with a Psybeam before even having a chance to recover. It still got up though, and awaited Ash's instructions.

"Use Aqua Jet again!" he commanded. Buizel once again rocketed toward Psyduck. It was stopped in its tracks by a Disable attack though, and fell to the floor. Then Psyduck finished it off with another Psybeam.

"Buizel!" Ash yelled as he ran towards his Pokemon.

"Wow, Psyduck! You won!" said Misty, laughing.

"Girls two, Guys one!" Leaf cheered.

"It's not over yet!" said Drew. "No way am I losing to May!"

"That's what _you_ think," May retorted.

It was the last battle, and everyone was on the edge of their seats. May and Drew stood in position at the sides of the field.

"Roserade, it's time to win!" Drew yelled, releasing his flower Pokemon.

"That's a rather girly Pokemon, Drew!" teased May, and she smirked inwardly when she saw him turn a bit pink. "Go, Combusken! Take the stage!"

"You may have the type advantage, but I'm still going to win! Use Magical Leaf, Roserade!" Colorful spinning leaves flew at Combusken.

"Use Ember!" May instructed. Combusken released many small flames, burning all of the leaves before they reached it. "Use Fire Spin!" May yelled. A spiraling flame shot out of Combusken's mouth and rushed towards Roserade.

"Use Water Sport!" commanded Drew. Roserade released water and put out the flame.

"Oh no! Now my fire attacks are useless!" said May in shock.

"Roserade, use Wood Hammer!" shouted Drew. The flower Pokemon rushed at Combusken and hit it with a glowing arm.

"Use Double Kick!" May commanded. Combusken ran at Roserade, and was about to kick.

"Grab its leg with Vine Whip!" Drew yelled. Roserade did as told and pulled Combusken's leg out from under it, causing it to trip and skid across the floor. "Now use Poison Sting!" Roserade released needles of poison at the chicken Pokemon, badly poisoning it.

"Get up, Combusken!" May begged, but the Pokemon was too badly poisoned. It couldn't get up, and soon, it fainted.

May returned her Pokemon sullenly.

"It's a tie!" Gary announced. "So we each send in our best battler for sudden death!"

Now the heat had really turned up.

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And I'm leaving you with a cliffhanger :D Sorry! Whew, this is long because of the battles, so enjoy the extra length guys!

Please review! And how about you try to guess which boy, and which girl will battle in the sudden death round? I'll announce the winners who guess correctly at the beginning of next chapter! Peace-out!


	4. Chapter 4: Make it or Break It

Let's get to that cliffhanger!

Those of you who guessed correctly about who would battle in the sudden death round were Squirtle Girl and MudkipLover33! You get virtual cupcakes!

Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

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The boys were huddled on one side of the field, and the girls were on the other. Each group was deciding who to send in for the sudden death round.

"Paul should go in," said Drew. "He's our best battler."

"But he doesn't even want to go on a date with Dawn! He might lose on purpose!" Gary countered.

"I don't lose," said Paul coldly. "Even if it means making sacrifices like spending a few hours with a ditzy whore."

"Would you stop calling her that?" Ash whined. "She seems nice enough, and she wasn't mean to you or anything."

"Shut up, Ketchum. You don't know what you're talking about," grumbled the lavender-haired boy.

"All I know is that Gary really wants into that nerdy girl's pants, so you better win Paul," Drew said, flipping his hair.

Gary punched Drew's arm roughly, causing the green-haired boy to wince. "That is not my goal here, Drew Hayden. She's not that type of girl. She's... different, but I'm not sure why. Besides, we all know you want to go on a date with May. You did give her one of your trademark roses."

"She's just a girl that could be temporary. After this vacation, we'd break it off and forget about the whole thing. All of us could use a summer romance," Drew insisted.

You'd really just blow her off like that?" Ash asked. "Isn't that kind of shallow?"

"No one asked for your opinion," Drew said. "Now, are we sending in Paul or not?"

"Yeah," they all agreed.

On the girls' side of the field, they were having a harder time making their decision.

"I just know they're going to send Paul in! You have to let me avenge myself!" Dawn screamed.

"Shut up or they'll hear you all the way over there!" Misty warned.

"Dawn, your Pokemon are mostly in their first evolutionary stage, and his are all probably insanely trained like that Torterra," May explained.

"I have Mamoswine!" Dawn stated.

"Mamoswine doesn't always listen though." Leaf said drily.

Dawn sighed. She wanted so badly to have a rematch with Paul, but unless she wanted to go on a date with him, she'd have to let one of the others battle him.

"I think Leaf should do it," said May. "She has strong Pokemon, and she's smart."

Misty nodded her head in agreement. Dawn did the same, but more reluctantly.

Leaf stepped up to the edge of the field and the other three girls headed back to the stands. The boys did the same, and Dawn let out a huff as she saw that Paul was indeed the one battling for the boys. She'd have to get her revenge some other time.

"Venusaur, let's go!" Leaf shouted, releasing the massive grass Pokemon.

"Honchkrow, stand by for battle," Paul said emotionlessly. The black flying type Pokemon glared at Venusaur with as much coldness as its master.

"Oh no, a type disadvantage!" May said with a frown.

"I wouldn't get worried yet, Venusaur is Leaf's ace after all," said Misty with confidence.

"Venusaur, use Razor Leaf!" With a thrust of its head, Venusaur released several spinning leaves at Honchkrow.

"Dodge, and use Aerial Ace," commanded Paul. Honchkrow's speed made it easy to dodge the attack, as well as impossible for Venusaur to avoid its own Aerial Ace attack. The attack hit the plant Pokemon head on, and caused a considerable amount of damage.

"Shake it off, Venusaur! We're far from done! Use Vine Whip to ensnare Honchkrow!" Leaf shouted. Vines were released from the Pokemon's back, reaching for the flying Pokemon in the air. They wrapped around Honchkrow's legs, stopping its flight path.

"Now use Slam!" Leaf commanded. Using its vines, Venusaur slammed Honchkrow into the ground, causing it to grunt in pain.

"Sand Attack!" Paul yelled. Honchkrow writhed on the ground and sent a cloud of sand at Venusaur with its wings, forcing it to close its eyes and lose its focus. Thanks to the distraction, Honchkrow was able to escape from the vines' grasp.

"Now use Sky Attack!"

"No!" Leaf cried as Honchkrow began glowing. It sped towards Venusaur and slammed into it, knocking the massive Pokemon out.

Gary was so happy that he jumped up and let out a triumphant yell, which luckily went unnoticed by Leaf as she returned Venusaur sullenly. She looked over to her friends and saw identical looks on their faces. Dawn even held her hair in fists. Misty and May just looked downcast.

"I can't believe he won," Dawn whispered. Now she'd have to go on a date with Paul next week, but she had a boyfriend! How was she going to explain this to Kenny? What would he say.

_You don't have to tell him. He's not going to find out on his own. Isn't it better to avoid an argument? You're not doing anything wrong as long as you don't want to be on the date with Paul. It's not cheating. Definitely not._

Dawn's thoughts were confused. She knew that she should be honest with Kenny, but wouldn't it only cause a problem? It was just one date. An emotionless date. Nothing bad was going to happen, so it was okay, right?

The guys were crossing over to their side of the arena.

"So, what day next week is good for all of you?" Gary said, leaning on the side of the stands. He shot a seductive smile towards Leaf, who rolled her eyes.

"Let's hold it off as long as possible," grumbled Dawn.

"Gary and I's first lecture is Monday. And we have the first academic contest on Wednesday. How about Thursday?" Leaf suggested.

"I have a better idea," said Drew. "Their holding a dance at a teen club Friday night. We could all spend the afternoon on separate dates, and then meet up there in the evening. Sound good?"

"At least we'd spend some of the time as a group," Misty pointed out. "I think it's a good idea."

Everyone nodded their heads, and with that the day was set in stone. Five days from now, they'd all go on their dates. No backing out.

Leaf looked down at her Poketch. "Crap! We have to get back to the hotel! The opening night speech is in an hour!" Everyone's eyes widened and they all headed for the exit. They were going to have to sprint to the hotel.

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"I can't attend this thing without taking a shower!" Dawn wailed.

"There isn't enough time! We only have half an hour left!" May said, running a comb through her chocolate locks.

"At least let me rinse off!" Dawn begged.

"All right, but at 4:55 we're heading downstairs whether you're ready or not," Leaf warned.

Dawn ran into the bathroom and took the fastest shower ever. She only had time to do a quick body wash and wet her hair, but it was better than nothing. When she got out, she quickly dried herself off and blow dried her hair.

As she came out of the bathroom, she caught Leaf informing the others that this was semi-formal and that they should dress up a little bit.

Misty was already ready to go. She wore black dress pants and a blue plaid button-up shirt with a lighter blue tank underneath. Black flats completed her look. Her hair was still up in a side ponytail, but she never wore it down unless she had to.

Leaf was searching through her bags looking for something, and May was putting foundation on her face.

Dawn bent over her bag and lifted some of the folded clothes up until she found what she was looking for: a dark pink skirt that went to the knee, and a light pink scoop neck top. It was kind of low-cut, so she decided to where a black Camisole underneath. She quickly got dressed and began doing her makeup. She knew that she was almost out of time, but it's hard to rush putting on eye liner.

May was now done getting ready, wearing a tank that tied around the neck but didn't have a low neck line. She also wore a white skirt with a black flower design that reached just above the knee. Red flats completed her outfit, giving her a casual, but elegant look. Her hair though, was what really looked beautiful. She'd braided her chocolate locks into a glorious mermaid tail that made her look older and less naive.

"Whoa. Drew is going to flip when he sees you," Dawn said, causing May's cheeks to turn red. The bluenette had opted to French braid her own hair, so that it was close to what she normally did, but just a bit fancier.

Leaf was the best looking of all though. She wore a dark green cotton dress that had only one thick strap, and silver sandals with a lot of thin straps wrapping around her feet. She'd left her hair down. Leaf never wore her hair up unless absolutely necessary.

"I thought you said it was only semi-formal," Misty joked.

"Well, I am representing our school," Leaf said shyly. "Now let's get downstairs before we're late."

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The boys were already in the dining room, which was decorated a bit more since this morning. They sat at a table together, making small talk.

"So, Paul. I'd like to thank you again for winning that battle earlier," Gary said, slapping his back. The lavender-haired boy grunted in response. He was still mad at Gary for getting him roped into this date with Dawn on Friday. He would gladly undergo any sort of torture to get out of spending time with that girly girl.

"Why do you hate Dawn anyway Paul?" Ash asked.

"She's annoying. Too happy. Happy people are unintelligent."

"Spoken like a true emo," Drew said.

"I'm not emo," growled Paul. "I'm just not a social butterfly like the rest of you. If it wasn't for Ketchum, we never would have met those girls at all."

"They needed seats! I was just being polite!" Ash said.

Paul slammed his fist on the table. "You're almost as bad as that troublesome girl!"

"Shut up before you cause a scene!" Drew hissed. "Look Paul, she doesn't want to go on a date with you either, so why don't you just not go? I'm sure she'd be thrilled to get out of a date with Oscar the Grouch."

Paul grunted. He hated it when Drew talked sense. It wasn't often, but it made him feel inferior.

"Here come the girls," Gary said, nodding at the door.

"Whoa," said Drew. "May looks... hot."

None of the boys responded. Gary was too busy taking in how beautiful and unlike a smart girl Leaf looked in her dress. Ash was looking at Misty in her tomboyish outfit. She still looked pretty in her own special way. Even Paul had to admit that Dawn looked nice. If she was a true whore, then she wouldn't be wearing that black Camisole to cover her chest.

The girls saw the boys and walked over to their table. They didn't know anyone else here after all. They each took a seat, and a man on the stage near the back of the room began to talk. He spoke about what an honor it was for everyone to be here and how they should all do their best to be good representatives of their school.

Soon, dinner was served to them. It was a delicious pasta dish. Ash ordered seconds for himself, while the others had desert, which was strawberry cake with whippy vanilla frosting.

After the meal, another man got up to speak.

"We would like to acknowledge all of the academically talented students among us tonight, so when you hear your name called, please stand up," he said. The man began naming off names alphabetically. After a few, a familiar one was called.

"Leaf Green."

Leaf stood up and everyone clapped. Gary let out a whistle, causing her to scowl and others to laugh. The announcer cleared his throat and continued on. Soon, he came to another familiar name.

"Gary Oak."

Gary stood up, and everyone clapped except for Leaf. He shot her a smirk as he sat down. "It's okay. I know you wanted to," he whispered.

She kicked him under the table and he just laughed. She kicked him harder and he stopped.

Soon, the opening night speech ended and everyone was dismissed.

As Dawn left with her friends, she could have sworn that Paul had been looking at her tonight.

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I feel like this might be a boring chapter, but I hope it wasn't too bad. Please review and tell me what you think!


	5. Chapter 5: At the Beach

Ugh. I'm writing this right now because I need to deal with my emotions. You see, during band class, my friend passed a note to my crush WITHOUT TELLING ME SHE WAS GOING TO DO IT, asking him if he liked me. Apparently, he looked at it, blushed, and handed it back without answering. Then she was like, "Awe, you do ;)" and he blushed more and turned away from her. This could mean 2 different things! Either he's embarrassed because he does like me, or he's embarrassed because he doesn't like me and doesn't want people to _think _that he likes me, and I don't know which it is! But, that's enough about me...

Thank you to those of you who reviewed! I really appreciate it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

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_Dear Kenny,_

_ We arrived at the hotel safely, and the first day here was great! We had a lot of fun shopping and there's other people here that are our age, so it feels more like home. _

_ We met some boys that would be good matches for Misty, May, and possibly even Leaf too. I think we may have met a guy who can get to her. Actually, I'm pretty sure he already has._

_ I wish you could be here with me, but I'm sure you're having fun on your own :) I really do miss you Kenny, and I'll keep writing to you no matter how much fun I have 3_

_ Love, Dawn XOXOXO_

Dawn reread what she had typed, and clicked the send button. It was a short message, but she hadn't been gone that long. Mentioning Paul had crossed her mind, but in the end she had decided against it. There was no reason to make Kenny worry if he didn't need to.

Right now it was five a.m. Dawn was an early riser. When she was little, she had terrible nightmares, so she was afraid to sleep. Eventually, the terrible dreams stopped, but her body couldn't get used to sleeping that long, and as a result, she always woke up automatically at four every morning. That had worked out well for her as she got older, because it took her a lot of time to get ready in the morning.

The bluenette girl shut down her laptop. She didn't know what else to do while she waited for the others to wake up, so she decided to get a shower.

In the bathroom, she stared at herself in the mirror. She hated how she looked in the morning. Her bangs were frizzy, and the rest of her hair was tangled in places. Normally, her skin would look a bit weird from sleeping on her face, but she'd been sitting up for a while, so it looked normal.

While she took her shower, her thoughts wandered to Paul. She was sure that she'd felt his eyes on her last night, but he was probably just sending glares in her direction. The boy undoubtedly hated her. She didn't know why, but she supposed that there was some hidden reason for his feelings. If he even had feelings.

_Why am I even thinking about him? _she wondered to herself. She shook her head and turned the water off. She didn't want to let him get to her so much that he overtook her thoughts.

She stepped out of the shower and dried off, then put her fuzzy pink bathrobe on. Once again she looked in the mirror. She felt much better now, but her eyes definitely needed mascara. Her biggest insecurity was her thin skimpy eyelashes.

Thinking for a moment, Dawn remembered that they were going to the beach today, so she put on water-proof mascara.

_Perfect._

Now she was ready to be seen.

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"We don't get free breakfast this morning?" May asked.

"The hotel won't feed us every morning," Leaf explained. "Hence the small kitchen. They gave us four-hundred dollars to spend on food for the next two months that we're here, so we'll have to go shopping later. I wish I had remembered yesterday."

"It's May to the rescue, then!" said the brunette triumphantly. She reached into her dresser drawer and pulled out a box of wild berry flavored Pop Tarts. They'd unpacked their bags last night after getting back from the dinner speech.

"I love you," said Misty, ripping the box out of May's hands. She tore it open and took a packet, tossing the box the Leaf.

May frowned at Misty's rudeness, but shrugged it off as Leaf handed the box back to her.

Dawn was handed the final packet of Pop Tarts, which she looked at with distaste. All that sugar would make her break out, but she was hungry. Sighing, she opened the packet and took a bite. It was delicious.

"We're supposed to sign up for the sports thing today, right?" Misty asked.

"Oh yeah, I wonder where we sign up?" May wondered.

"We'll ask someone at the beach. Is everyone ready to go?" Leaf asked.

They all nodded, grabbing their beach bags and heading out the door.

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"That was easy enough," Dawn said. There was a surfboard shack that had a huge hand-painted sign out front. The sign read in bright orange letters : "Sign Ups For Upcoming Sports Competition!"

The girls found a spot on the beach to leave their stuff, and released their Pokemon to go play for a while.

"Now let's go sign up!" said Misty, running to the surfboard shack. She was wearing a light blue one-piece swim suit. The other girls followed her. Dawn wore a pink and black striped bikini, May a red bikini with white polka-dots, and Leaf a green halter style swimming tank with black bikini bottoms.

When they reached the shack, they saw that the boys were there signing up as well.

"Is anyone else finding it creepy that we keep running into them?" Dawn asked.

Her three friends nodded their heads. It was definitely weird, but they _had _discussed the sign ups the day before, so maybe it was just a coincidence that they showed up here at the same time.

They walked up to the boys. Dawn stared at Paul. He was wearing dark purple swimming trunks. He looked... different without a shirt on.

Ash was wearing red trunks, Drew wore green, and Gary wore blue.

"Hey guys! What events did you sign up for?" Misty asked.

They turned around and saw the girls. Paul was still writing his name on one of the forms.

"Hey! Ash and Paul signed up for volleyball, Drew and I signed up for swimming, we all signed up for the run, and I signed up for surfing as well," Gary said, smiling towards Leaf.

"Do you even know how to surf?" Leaf asked.

"Of course! I'm pretty good if I do say so myself."

Paul turned and saw Dawn in her bikini. She thought she saw his eyes widen a bit.

Misty walked over to the forms. She signed up for swimming. May and Dawn signed up for volleyball. And then all four girls signed up for the run.

"We're going to kill you guys at every event!" May said determinedly. "No one beats Dawn and I at volleyball, and Misty's practically been swimming ever since birth!"

"Let's get started now!" said Drew. "Race you to the water!" The green-haired boy took off for the ocean, the others sprinting behind him.

"Arceus! It's cold!" May yelled as her body hit the freezing water. She jumped up and down in the waist-high water, trying to get warm.

"Your body will adjust in a minute," Misty said. She was heading a bit further out to swim. Ash followed behind her, while the others waited to warm up first.

A stray beach ball floated up to them on the waves. Gary grabbed it and looked around for the owner, but no one was really around them, and he couldn't see anyone on the beach who was looking for it.

"Want to play some ball?" he asked the others, shrugging his shoulders. They all agreed and formed a circle in the water. For a while, they hit it back and forth, usually only making it to five or six hits before someone missed it. Soon, they got better at it and made it go continuously for quite a while.

It was Dawn who finally missed it in the end.

"Nice one," said Paul sarcastically.

"You gave me a bad set up!" Dawn said, defending herself. The lavender-haired boy grunted and looked away.

Misty and Ash came running up to them in the water, well, as fast as you could run in waist-high water. They were both smiling and laughing, splashing each other as they approached the group.

"We're hungry, so we're going to the food stand! You guys can come if you want!" Ash yelled as they passed them.

"I could use a bite," Leaf said. "Let's go with them."

When they reached the sand, Gary set the beach ball down far enough from the water that the tide wouldn't take it later if someone came back for it.

The smell coming from the food stand was delicious. Grilled hot dogs had to be one of the best scents ever. Dawn hoped that they had other food though. She'd already eaten something unhealthy today.

The group studied the menu for a minute or so. The stand only sold a few food items, including fruit salad to Dawn's delight.

Everyone opted to go with hot dogs except for the bluenette, and they all stood around eating together.

"We need to go into the village and get groceries soon," Leaf said as she finished her hot dog. "We should probably go get our stuff and leave."

The boys walked with them to the spot where the girls had left their bags and beach towels. Their Pokemon were still playing in the area. As they were drying the water and sand off of them, Misty's Pokegear rang. This time, she remembered to check the ID.

"It's Rudy," she said with a frown.

"Don't answer it, Misty," Leaf advised. "He's just going to say a bunch of shit again."

"Who's Rudy?" Ash whispered to Dawn. "Misty's ex boyfriend. He's a real jerk, and he won't leave her alone."

The raven-hair boy frowned and watched as Misty shoved the Pokegear back into her bag. "Let's go back to the hotel and change," she said, returning her Pokemon and walking off.

The other three girls frowned and waved to boys as they returned their own Pokemon and went after Misty.

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Rudy had left a voicemail, and Misty pretended to delete it. She was planning on listening to it later, but she knew the others would tell her not to.

They were changing into normal clothes at the moment, all opting to go with jean shorts and their signature color tank top.

"I wonder what will happen on our dates Friday? I still can't believe that we lost!" Leaf said.

"Gary will probably try to get in your pants," Dawn teased.

"I won't let him, and if he tries anything, I'm going to scream 'rape!' even if we're in public," Leaf said firmly.

Suddenly, May ran into the restroom. Seconds later they heard the unappealing sound of the girl puking.

The other three girls exchanged glances.

"May, are you all right?" Dawn asked, stepping towards the bathroom. She didn't want to get too close to the smell.

"I'm fine!" May said a little too quickly, flushing the toilet. She came out wearing a forced smile. "Maybe my hot dog was undercooked or something."

"What if you're sick?" asked Dawn worriedly. "Why don't you stay here while we get the groceries?"

"I'll stay here with you," Misty offered. "I'm not feeling much like shopping anyways."

May sighed, giving in. "All right."

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There will be time skips. I won't write what happens to them every single day, but I'll never skip more than two or three days at most. Next chapter will skip to Leaf and Gary's first lecture that they must attend.

Please review! It makes me so happy to know if I'm doing well, and that you guys care enough to point out little flaws and stuff :)


	6. Chapter 6: Secrets

Thank you for the encouraging reviews, guys! And my crush and I talked things out. We're not together, but we're still good friends. I'm actually okay with that.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

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_Dear Dawn,_

_ I'm glad that your vacation is already going so well! I really miss you Dee Dee. And I can call you that as much as I want in these Emails, because you can't punch me through the computer screen ;)_

_ Barry threw me into a bush yesterday. It hurt. And Lucas didn't even help me! He just pointed and laughed! Some great friends I've got, huh?_

_ Well, it's midnight here in Shinnoh, so I'm going to end the letter here. I love you, Dawn, and I can't wait until you come home._

_ Love, Kenny_

Dawn smiled to herself as she read the words on the glowing computer screen. Kenny was such a sweetie. Even though his Emails were always short and kind of redundant. It was always the typical 'I love you, Babe' kind of letter, with a joke or two attached. She doubted that Kenny could write a long sappy letter if he tried. In fact, it would probably kill him.

Leaf had already left for the lecture about an hour ago. They'd made eggs and toast for breakfast, and then the brunette had rushed out the door.

Right now, Misty was watching the television in the room. May was napping on the bed beside Dawn. The poor girl still wasn't feeling well, but luckily she hadn't thrown up again.

"I think she's going to stay in bed for most of the day," Misty said. "Do you want to just go somewhere so that she can rest without being disturbed?"

"That's probably a good idea, but I hate to leave her all alone," Dawn answered.

"She's not alone. She has her Teddiursa doll," Misty joked. "Leaf will be back in a few hours anyway."

"Well... okay," Dawn shrugged, giving in.

They'd both already showered, so the two girls just had to change their clothes. Dawn wore the purple zebra-print halter top that she'd bought a couple days ago with some black shorts and black flip flops. Misty wore a plain dark blue T-shirt and white shorts with white flip flops.

"Where should we go?" Dawn asked as she softly closed the door behind her.

"How about we buy a gift for May? I think that would cheer her up," said Misty.

"That's a great idea, and I know exactly where to go!" said Dawn, clapping in excitement.

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May heard the door close and she sat up, sighing in relief. Finally, she was alone. She felt bad for pretending to be asleep, but she'd been secretly hoping that Misty and Dawn would leave.

Faking sickness made her feel guilty, but May had to do it. How else would she explain her sudden puke attack last night? Quick thinking had saved her when she'd thought up the hot dog excuse, but it had been too close of a call for her.

The chocolate-haired girl hugged one of the light blue pillows to her chest.

"They can never know," she murmured into it. "I can't ever let them find out, even if they are my best friends."

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"And this is how you calculate the force of an object due to gravity. Just remember the equation _F=ma_. _F_ stands for force, _m_ stands for mass, and _a_ stands for acceleration, which will always be 9.8 meters per second when dealing with gravity."

Leaf rolled her eyes. This was all stuff that she already knew, and from the looks of things, everyone else already knew it too. People were texting, drawing pictures, and a few were even napping rather than listening to this oh so interesting physics lecture.

Gary was sitting beside her, drawing a picture. She looked closer and saw that it was two stick people holding hands. Above it were the words 'Gary + Leaf 4ever'.

Leaf knew he was doing it to annoy her and get her attention, and she reached over with her own pencil and crossed the words out, causing him to scowl at her. Underneath where the words had been, he wrote 'You know you want it as much as I do.'

'No, I really don't.' She wrote. They were now passing the paper back and forth, having a little hand-written war of sorts. When it was over, the conversation ended up like this:

'Yes you do.'

'Nope. You aren't qualified to be with me romantically. You don't fit my rubric of romance'

'And just what is on your "rubric of romance"?'

'Any guy who wants to date me must: 1. Have good grades, 2. Have common sense, 3. Be able to hold an intelligent conversation, 4. Plan on going to college and getting a job, 5. I have to be attracted to him in some way, and 6. He must not be a jerk.'

'... isn't number 5 a bit materialistic? And where do I lack in any of these areas?'

'5 is not materialistic. It is just a fact of life. Not everyone in the world is going to be attractive to me. And you lack in areas 2, 5, and 6.'

'I have common sense! And you have to find me _somewhat _attractive! Oh, and I'm not a jerk.'

'Right. You're more of a pervert.'

'Wrong again, Leafy! I just have a healthy teenage sex drive!'

Leaf stared over at the auburn-haired boy. He was smirking at her triumphantly. This was going to be a long lecture to sit through.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Wow, this is a really great idea, Dawn! Let's make one for Leaf too!" said Misty.

The two girls were standing in the middle of a "Build a Pokemon Workshop". It was a store where you could choose pretty much any Pokemon you wanted and make a stuffed doll of it. Then you got to choose a cute outfit for it to wear.

"I know right? I haven't been in one of these places since I was, like, eleven," Dawn said with a smile. "I forgot how much fun it is!"

"How did you even know they had one of these places here?"

"I noticed it when Leaf and I went out for groceries," Dawn answered. " I thought it might be fun for all of us to come here together, but I think this is a much better idea. What Pokemon do you think we should make for May?"

"How about a Torchic?" Misty suggested. "I'm making a Marill doll for myself. What about you, Dawn?"

"I'm making a Pachirisu. I already have a Piplup and Buneary doll from a long time ago. The Piplup wears a tuxedo, and the Buneary wears a wedding dress."

Dawn picked up the Pachirisu outline and turned back to Misty. "What Pokemon should we make for Leaf?"

"Good question..." Misty said, looking around.

"Ooh, Cleffairy!" Dawn said, pointing to the doll outline.

"Perfect!" said Misty. The two girls walked over to the stuffing machine and filled up all four doll outlines with the white fluff. It was strangely exciting to watch the Pokemon get fatter and fatter until they were the perfect size.

"Now comes the best part! Choosing the outfits!" Dawn said, rushing over to the different clothing choices. She immediately picked a pink cheer leading outfit and pink and white pom-poms for her Pachirisu doll.

Misty decided that she wanted her Marill to be a male, and chose orange swim trunks and sun glasses for her doll to wear. She thought it would look good against the Pokemon's blue body. "You do May's Torchic, and I'll do Leaf's Cleffairy," she said, passing the Torchic doll to Dawn.

The bluenette looked for an outfit that May's Torchic could wear. It felt extra soft in her hands, having fur that resembled feathers. In the end, she chose a red tank top with glittery music notes, and a black mini skirt. She even found a head phones accessory for the doll.

"That's perfect!" Misty said. "May will love the music theme! Check out what I found for Leaf's Cleffairy!" The doll wore a white lab coat and some nerdy black glasses. It was obviously dressed as a scientist.

"Awesome, Misty! I'm sure she will love it! I can't wait to show May and Leaf their presents!"

The two girls went to the checkout to pay for the dolls. Dawn hoped that this would make May feel better. She was kind of worried about her friend.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Leaf was returning to the hotel room. She was happy to be free from the boring lecture. Hopefully the next one would be more interesting.

Gary had tried to hug her at the end of the lecture, and she'd shoved him away. Leaf wasn't exactly a powerhouse, so the shove was little more than a light bump to the boy.

The stupid ass even had the nerve to laugh at her as she stomped away, and the brunette was still fuming inside.

_I can't believe I have to go on a date with him. Arceus, that's in how many days? Four?_

Leaf was still distracted by her thoughts when she opened the door. She was about to go make herself some lunch when she heard soft crying noises. Turning around, she saw that May was lying face-down on the bed. The poor girl looked like a mess.

Leaf softly padded over to the bed.

"May?" she asked softly, placing a hand on the girl's back. May flinched at the touch, and Leaf dismissed it as her being surprised. She probably hadn't heard her come in.

"Did you throw up again?" she asked.

May shook her head no, refusing to look up. She had stopped crying, but she wouldn't lift her head.

Leaf breathed out a deep sigh. "You're not really sick, are you?" It came out as more of a statement rather than a question.

Once again, May shook her head no into the pillow.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong, or would you prefer not to?"

May didn't respond, which Leaf took as a sign that the girl wasn't going to answer.

"It's okay, May. You don't have to tell me. Please though, remember that Misty, Dawn, and I are your friends, and that we love you and want to help you."

With that, Leaf left the girl to herself. She would make them both some lunch.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"We have presents!" squealed Dawn as she opened the door. She wore a radiant smile on her face as she saw the look of surprise May and Leaf were giving her.

May had stopped crying, and had cleaned herself up. No trace of her break down was visible.

Misty carried in the four bags that each held a stuffed Pokemon doll. She gave the green bag to Leaf, and the red one to May.

Dawn watched as the two girls each pulled their Pokemon dolls out of their bags. Leaf let out a gasp and hugged her Cleffairy doll, smiling. May petted her Torchic's soft feathery fur and smiled happily.

"It's so cute! Thank you so much, guys!" May said. She was feeling a lot better now. It was heartwarming to see all of the thought that her friends had put into her gift.

"We got dolls too, so we all have one!" Dawn said, holding up her Pachirisu. Misty pulled her Marill out of the blue bag.

"So they're like... friendship dolls," Leaf said.

"Yeah. You could say that. They symbolize our friendship!" Dawn said happily.

"Symbolize..." Leaf trailed off. She was playing with a charm bracelet on her wrist. No one must have heard her though, because the other three girls carried on with the conversation.

_May seems happier now. I wonder what was bothering her? I understand that she doesn't want to talk about it. I don't want to talk about my secret either..._

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

So, more of a May and Leaf centered chapter. A bit of a deeper look at what's going on with them. I'll probably skip to the day before the dates next chapter. I may or may not start the dates. It depends on what I decide needs to happen first :)

Please review and tell me what you think!


	7. Chapter 7: Trust

Sorry for the long wait, guys! I had a really busy holiday season, and I'm working on science fair (ugh), so that takes up a lot of my time. I also have to practice my flute solo for contest, and I'm working on a story for my best friend. I'll try to update more regularly, but until March, things might be slow. Sorry!

Haha. So many of you have been asking if May is pregnant! You'll just have to wait and see ;) All shall be revealed in good time. Not much has been said about Leaf's secret. I may hint at it here and there, but it won't be revealed as soon as May's.

And the dates start this chapter! I can only focus on one couple at a time, so I may only get to two of them this chapter, and two next chapter. Then they'll all come together to finish the date.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. I also don't own Build a Bear Workshop, which is where the idea for Build a Pokemon Workshop came from (obviously). I forgot to mention that last chapter.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"So, where are we going on our date?" Dawn asked Paul. It was Thursday morning, and the girls had agreed to meet with the boys and make plans for the next night. They'd met in the hotel lobby, and were sitting on the comfy white couches.

"Does it really matter?" grumbled Paul.

"You shouldn't answer a question by asking a question of your own," Dawn scolded.

"You're the one on the edge of your seat because you're so excited about our date. What about your dumbass boyfriend? You tired of him already?"

"Shut your face! Why don't you just answer the question already?

"You'll have to wait and see," Paul said vaguely.

"Well, at least tell me where to meet you!"

"Right here at the hotel entrance, Troublesome."

"What did you just call me?!"

"Troublesome. It's a suiting nickname for you, don't you think?"

Dawn stared at him in rage. No boy had ever treated her this way. Mostly boys just flirted with her, but Paul treated her like she was the worst scum of the Earth.

"I hope your more sociable on our date," she sighed. "I don't wish to spend the entire time rolling my eyes at your rudeness."

"Better pray to Arceus for a miracle then, because there's no way that I'm going to be polite or charming just for your sake," Paul warned emotionlessly.

Dawn fell back into the couch, giving up her conversation with Paul. She could see that the others were discussing their own plans for tomorrow. May looked nervous to be going anywhere with Drew alone. Leaf looked annoyed at Gary as usual. Misty and Ash seemed to be enjoying their conversation though. The two of them seemed totally relaxed around each other.

_They really would make a cute couple, _thought Dawn. She hoped that their date would go really well, and that maybe they would go out again before this vacation was over. _Misty really needs a good guy like Ash to show her what a jerk Rudy is._

Tomorrow would be different for each of them. Dawn trusted that all of the guys would be kind to them, and not get out of line, except maybe Gary, but Leaf could handle him.

The ultimate plan was for each couple to go their separate ways in the morning, and meet up back at the hotel at 6 o'clock to get ready for the teen club. None of the girls had ever been to a teen club before, so they all looked forward to that part of the dates.

Dawn smiled as she saw Gary rolling his eyes at Leaf for a change. Wednesday had been the first academic contest. It had been a quiz bowl type competition where they had divided the students into two teams. Leaf's team had beat Gary's, and she wasn't about to let him forget it. The girl now had somewhat of an upper hand in their crazy relationship, and Gary didn't seem to like it.

Once again, Dawn turned to Paul. He refused to acknowledge her, and she felt a bit disappointed.

_This is so stupid. I'm risking my own relationship for this guy. I don't even like him as a friend! I hope Kenny never finds out about this..._

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The girls all began to wake up around 8 o'clock. Sunlight was filtering through the window, lighting up the bright blue bed sheets. They all sat up on the two beds sleepily, making final plans for the day.

"Everyone make sure you take at least 50 dollars with you, and keep your Pokegears turned on at all times," said Leaf. "I don't think we'll have any problems, but we need to be prepared just in case one of us needs to get away from a situation."

The other three girls nodded and began to get ready for their dates. All of them were to meet their partner at 9:30 in their agreed location. Misty was meeting Ash at a cafe, Leaf was meeting Gary at the mall, May was meeting Drew at the beach (not to go swimming), and Dawn was to meet Paul in the lobby because he wouldn't tell her where they were going.

By the time they were done getting ready, Misty was wearing the yellow, off the shoulder top that she'd bought last week, a pair of dark ripped up jean shorts with black tights underneath, and a pair of yellow flip flops. She still wore her hair in that same side pony tail, and she looked really cute in the outfit even though it wasn't her normal style.

May was wearing a red halter top and white shorts. She had a black zip up hoodie tied around her waist, because the beach could be cold in the early morning. Her red bandana and white strappy sandals completed her look.

Leaf looked the most impressive out of all the girls. Everyone was surprised that she was trying so hard to look good for Gary. She was wearing a strapless dark green dress that reached just above the knee, and a black jacket that only reached down to her abs. She'd probably take that off later. Green flip flops adorned her feet, and pearl earrings rested comfortably on her ears. Her hair was down and flowing freely, making her look even more beautiful.

Dawn had chosen a cute outfit. She didn't feel the need to go the extra mile for Paul. Of course she still wore her heavy makeup, but that was a given. She never went anywhere without it. Her outfit was simply a pink one shoulder top and black denim shorts. She wore white clips in her hair instead of her normal gold ones, and pink flip flops.

The girls all looked at each other.

"Are we ready?" asked Dawn. They all nodded.

"Then let's go."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

May walked on the stone road towards the beach. She thought about turning back and just not going, but she didn't want Drew to think that she stood him up. He wasn't the problem anyways. It was her. She was the one with the trust issue.

_I may never trust another guy again._

She had almost reached the sand, and she could see Drew standing in the distance. He was wearing a black and grey plaid button up shirt and tan cargo shorts. The breeze was strong today, and his hair blew in the wind. He looked beautiful, but May needed more than that to trust him. A lot more.

"Hey," said Drew as she approached him. "You look cute, May."

"Thanks," she said, faking a smile. "You look nice too."

"I thought we could just take a walk on the beach for a while before all the people start coming out. It's really nice in the morning."

"I'd like that," May answered gently. Okay, so he was into romantic things like walking on the beach. He could just be trying to get her to think he's a sweet guy though. She'd see what happened next.

They were walking along the shore, the wind blowing gentle sea spray at their bare legs. The sun was still rising, low enough to cast everything in a gentle pink light.

"Do you... have a crush back home?" Drew asked casually.

"Not really," May said. The beautiful atmosphere helped to keep her calm. She was guarded as Drew asked the question, not wanting to get open and personal.

"I don't either. There's a girl named Briana that stalks me, but she isn't half as pretty as you are. That, and she's horribly annoying," he told her.

May was pleased at his words, but she had to remind herself that this date wasn't going to turn into anything. She wouldn't let it.

They walked in silence for a few more steps. May could feel Drew's eyes on her, but she couldn't bring herself to meet them.

"I make you uncomfortable, don't I?" he asked suddenly.

Now May looked at him. This time he was the one avoiding her gaze. She was surprised that he had picked up on her feelings so fast. He seemed generally concerned for those feelings, and maybe even a little hurt.

"Yes," she answered truthfully. "But it's not your fault. I feel that way around all guys. Don't take it personally, because it has nothing to do with you."

Relief flashed in his eyes, and also a flicker of curiosity.

"Did a guy hurt you in the past?" he asked. His voice was low and gentle, with a hint of anger underneath. "You don't have to tell me, but I don't know why anyone would want to hurt someone like you, May."

"I was hurt, yes. But I don't want to go into details."

_I don't want you to think of me any differently._

It grew silent again, and the two kept walking in the wet sand. The sun had risen a bit higher in the sky, and people were beginning to come out on the beach.

"Follow me," Drew said, leading her towards a shelter of tall rocks. May wasn't so sure about going off somewhere that they couldn't be seen, but Drew had been really nice so far, and she was beginning to feel a bit more comfortable around him.

Behind the rocks was a small area cut off from the main beach. Laid out on the sand was a picnic blanket and a picnic basket.

"Ready for some lunch?" asked Drew.

"Yes!" said May happily.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"That was really good," said May, lying on her back in the sand.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Drew said, doing the same. They were now lying side by side on the beach, staring up at the clouds. Drew glanced over at May, admiring the way her hair looked, all tangled up from the wind. It was cute.

He was still curious about the girl. She said that she'd been hurt in the past, so he didn't want to pry too much there. And he definitely didn't want to try anything on her. He knew better than to do that on the first date with any girl. He figured that holding hands would be okay though. It was such a small and gentle gesture that he doubted she would mind.

Tentatively, he reached out to take her hand. The second his fingers brushed hers, he knew something was really wrong. She had practically jumped to her feet, and now she was lying there, as tense as a scared Buneary.

"I'm sorry, May. I didn't know it would make you nervous," he said. "I don't want you to feel scared around me. You can trust me. I promise."

Her blue eyes stared into his green ones, as though she were searching him for the truth behind his words.

His own words from last week entered his mind. _"She's just a girl that could be temporary. After this vacation, we'd break it off and forget the whole thing."_

He didn't really feel that way now. May was becoming more appealing to him as time went on, and he knew that she needed someone. Someone who she could trust with her secret.

"Drew... I don't know why, but I feel like I can trust you. I know that it's stupid to feel that way, because I just met you. I shouldn't trust you at all, because we're practically strangers to one another... If I tell you something... can you promise to keep it a secret? The other girls... they don't even know about this, Drew. I want to tell someone, but can you be that person that I can trust no matter what?"

The seriousness behind her words caused Drew to hesitate for a moment. If he made this promise, he would have to keep it. There wouldn't be any turning back. He would be committing to May. He would have to be there for her no matter what. He was willing to do that. He knew that he was.

"May, I want to help you. I want to be that person that you can trust. I promise that you won't regret having faith in me. You can tell me anything, and know that you are 100% safe."

May searched his eyes for truth once again, and found that he was sincere. She could trust Drew. She really could.

"Okay," she breathed, lying back down on the sand so she wouldn't have to watch his face as she told him. "The other day, we were all in our hotel room talking. I... had to rush to the bathroom and throw up."

"The girls mentioned that you were sick," Drew said.

"I... wasn't though. I wasn't really sick, Drew." May paused here, taking a few deep breathes as she prepared to tell Drew her secret.

"You're not... pregnant, are you?" he asked, fearing her answer.

"No! No... that's not it. Arceus, I hope the others don't think that. But, the reason that I threw up... it's because Leaf mentioned rape..." she let the word hang in the air for a while, letting Drew put two and two together.

"You were... raped?" he asked gently, with sorrow in his voice.

"Yeah. I was dating a guy named Brendan Birch. The girls don't know about that either. Our relationship was a secret. He told me not to tell my friends that we were dating. He said that he didn't want to interfere with my friendships. I... believed him."

Drew reached over and wiped a tear off of May's face. He wanted to hold her, but he didn't want a repeat of the hand-holding incident.

"So one night, I was at his house. I'd been there with him before at night, and he'd never done anything to me, so I was comfortable. I didn't expect anything. We started kissing like usual. We were on his bed. He ended up on top of me, and I went to push him off before things got too hot. He'd always respected that before. Always stopped when I asked him to. But that night... he didn't stop. No matter what I did, he wouldn't stop."

May was full on crying now, tears streaming down her face.

Drew was shocked by what he was hearing, but he needed to be there for May. Now he knew it wasn't wrong. He knew that she needed this as much as he did. He reached out his arms to hold her, and she let him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

I fear that you guys might find it unrealistic for her to trust him so fast, but... that part is based on a special friend that I have that I trusted with my biggest secret, even though I didn't know him that well. He helped me with it, and he is now my best friend in the whole wide world, and I would trust him with my life.

I wanted to get another couple's date in this chapter, but May and Drew ended up being a lot longer than expected. Hopefully I get in all three of the others next chapter.

Please Review! It means a lot to me when you guys make comments :)


	8. Chapter 8: Bonding

I am done with science fair! Yes! And I don't have to ever do it again in high school! Also, I am done with gym class for the rest of my life! I am ecstatic!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. Or Nintendo DS. Or Nintendo Wii.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Undella Bay's mall was simply spectacular. It was open and beautiful, with a fountain at its center, and several stores with colorful signs lined the walkway.

Leaf walked through the morning crowd, getting a few looks from guys as she passed them. It made her more confident about what Gary would think of her outfit. She wasn't sure why she had dressed up to impress him. Maybe his opinion was starting to matter to her. She didn't like that.

_I suppose that deep down I enjoy the attention. I would never let him get in the way of my future though. That's not even an option. I really shouldn't even be going on this date. Oh, there's Gary._

The auburn-haired boy was standing out front of the music store where they had planned to meet. It turned out that they had discovered a shared love for music. Leaf played piano, and Gary played guitar.

Gary saw Leaf approaching and smiled at her. His eyes looked her over, and he seemed to like her dress. She'd removed the black jacket because it had already warmed up considerably.

He, himself, was wearing a blue and black plaid button up shirt, and gray cargo shorts. The shirt was open, revealing a black T-shirt.

"Hey," he greeted Leaf, immediately taking her hand. "You look gorgeous, Babe."

"Thanks, but don't call me that," she responded coolly. She would let him hold her hand. Otherwise, he would just keep trying, and she didn't want to spend the whole date smacking his hand away.

"Let's check out the store!" she said, dragging him inside. Maybe if they could look at the instruments, it would make being with Gary more bearable.

The inside of the store was rather large, and it smelled faintly of vanilla. They appeared to have every instrument imaginable from flutes to drums and pianos to saxophones.

A particular piano caught Leaf's eye. It was a large ebony Grand Piano. It shined with newness, and looked practically untouched.

"Would you like to try it?" a salesperson asked. She had friendly purple eyes and neat black hair pulled into a bun.

"Oh, yes!" Leaf said excitedly. She sat down on the bench and cracked her knuckles, preparing to play. Gary watched with intense interest.

She played a few experimental scales to warm up, enjoying the feeling of the keys beneath her fingers. Then, she began to play a song. It was a sad sounding piece. Slow, yet complicated. The kind of song that makes you feel emotion, even though it has no words. Just hearing the power beneath the melody conveys the sadness, and you feel your heart break for someone or something that doesn't even exist.

Gary watched Leaf as her fingers played effortlessly from memory. She was good. Really good. Maybe...

He walked over to the guitar section and picked up an acoustic guitar. It had a classic look to it with its standard shape and light brown color.

He made his way back to where Leaf was lost in her song.

"Leaf, try playing something else. Something more upbeat," he requested, breaking her out of her trance. She stared at him, noticing the guitar, and nodded in understanding. She began to play a happier melody with a nice beat . Really, she was improvising, but she had years of experience, and it sounded really good.

Gary listened, feeling the rhythm of the tune, and joined in, improvising as well. He exchanged glances with Leaf, and they seemed to become one person. Their two minds understood one another, and they were able to play in perfect harmony. Together, they were creating a beautiful song.

Leaf let herself smile as they finished the song. That may have been the most fun she'd had in years. It hadn't been complicated. She hadn't had to think about what she was doing. She just... let herself loose. Followed her instincts.

"That... was amazing!" she said, seeing that Gary wore an identical grin on his face.

"I've never been able to play with someone so easily before. I'd like to do that again sometime, Leaf. Maybe we could even write some lyrics. We could write a song together!" Gary said excitedly.

Leaf thought for a moment. She hadn't thought that she could possibly enjoy spending time with Gary, but right now... This had been a beautiful moment. She wanted to have more beautiful moments like this.

"Let's do it," she said, smiling at Gary. "Let's write a song."

Gary smiled back at her. For the first time in her life, she felt like she was free. Then, she felt the cold metal of the charm bracelet on her wrist, and remembered that she was not.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Misty sighed and checked her reflection in her hand mirror. Could she really do this? Could she go on a date with someone when she still had feelings for Rudy?

_No. You don't have feelings for that jerk anymore_, she reminded herself.

She kicked a soda can that was on the street as she walked. She wasn't in a hurry to get to the cafe. She had plenty of time to get there. Ash would probably be late anyway. Rudy always was.

Later, they were going to see a movie, and then go to lunch as well. There was no doubt in Misty's mind that Ash would never go on a date that didn't involve food.

Misty continued on her way, her mind swirling with thoughts. They all seemed to have problems right now. Well, except for Dawn. May was sick and upset, Leaf seemed a bit distant every once in a while, and Misty was fighting a losing battle with herself over Rudy.

She'd listened to his voicemail when the others were asleep. He wanted her back. He said he was sorry for being an ass. He promised that it would be different this time.

Misty wanted to take him back. She really did. But how could she trust him again after he cheated on her with Melody? She'd been a fool when she took him back the first time, only for him to cheat on her with Melody again. If she took him back now, would it happen a third time? She had a feeling that the answer to that question was yes.

Now she had reached the cafe. Taking a deep breath, the ginger-haired girl pushed through the glass door. She could do this. Ash was a nice guy, and this date didn't have to mean anything. He was taking her out as a friend. Not as a boyfriend.

She was surprised to see that Ash was already there. He was seated at a booth, and even more amazingly, he hadn't ordered without her! That must have taken him some incredible self control.

Ash waved to her when he saw her standing there, and she walked over and slid into the booth opposite him.

"Hey Misty! I'm glad that you got here. I'm starving!" he greeted.

"Sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to be late."

"That's okay. I'm sure you had a good reason," Ash said kindly.

Pikachu was sitting on the table, hugging a ketchup bottle to his body. He seemed quite content with the smooth glass object, stroking it gently with his paw.

"What's with Pikachu and the ketchup?" Misty asked.

"I'm not really sure," Ash admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "He's always had a strange obsession with ketchup."

Misty stared a bit longer at the electric type Pokemon, and then she turned to Ash, taking a good look at him for the first time. He wore a black T-shirt and jeans, with his classic baseball cap. He wasn't particularly dressed up, and neither was she. They were able to be casual around each other, which was a nice break for Misty. Rudy had always demanded that she try to look good for him so he could show her off. She rarely gave into that demand though, which is probably one reason why he turned to Melody.

"Breakfast is probably my favorite meal of the day," Ash said, studying the menu.

"I thought every meal was your favorite meal of the day," Misty replied, picking her own menu up off of the table.

"You're right," said Ash with a smile.

After the waitress came and took their order, the two made conversation by talking about their past experiences and battles.

"I'm going to go take over the Cerulean City Gym when I graduate. Or at least I'm supposed to. Sometimes I look into other options, but I don't think I'll get out of being the next Cerulean Gym leader," said Misty.

"Being a gym leader is a good job. What other options do you look at?" Ash asked.

"Well... I think I might get an opportunity this year to start training as a professional swimmer," Misty admitted. "It all depends on how I swim this season, but because of being tied to the gym, I won't be able to accept it."

"That's too bad. I can tell that you're really into swimming," said Ash in consolation.

"Yeah... So what do you want to do when you graduate?" Misty asked, turning the focus on him instead.

"I'm going to go on a journey. I'm not sure which region I'll start with though. If you end up taking over the Cerulean Gym, I'll get to challenge you someday!" he said excitedly.

"Yeah. I guess you will," Misty answered. The thought of battling Ash again someday made her smile inside.

Soon, their food came, and they continued to talk as they ate. Misty felt completely at ease around Ash. She didn't feel self-conscious or ashamed. She felt like this was how a relationship should feel. It should be easy. Not complicated. It should just be natural.

Maybe if she hung onto Ash, it wouldn't be such a bad thing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dawn tapped her foot impatiently. Where in the world was Paul? She'd been waiting in the hotel lobby for fifteen minutes! Had he stood her up? The nerve of that purple-haired dumbass!

Her temper cooled as she saw him emerge from the elevator. Then it heated up again when she saw what he was wearing. Paul had on a plain black T-shirt and purple gym shorts. Who wears that on a date?!

Dawn prepared to confront him about it as he approached, but then he walked right past her without so much as a nod and plunked himself down on a lobby couch. He pulled out his Nintendo DS from his pocket and started playing a game.

The bluenette stared at her date in confusion. She was completely dumbfounded. Never before had a guy treated her this way.

"What do you think you're doing?" Dawn asked once she regained herself. "Aren't we going on a date?"

"In your dreams, Troublesome," Paul said casually. "You really are stupid if you thought that I would really take you out today. Now that the others are gone, they won't know that I didn't take you on a date."

Anger flared inside Dawn. She felt a pain in the back of her throat. She wasn't going to cry. Wait... why was she about to cry? It wasn't like she had been looking forward to this or anything. She was just angry. That's all.

"What am I supposed to say when my friends ask about our date?" she asked. "And what are you going to say when your friends ask you?"

"Who gives a shit?" Paul replied, still focusing on his handheld gaming device. "We have all day to figure out what fake story we're going to tell them."

"So... that means that we are going to hang out?" Dawn pressed.

"Yeah," grumbled Paul. "But not here. Why don't you come up to our room?"

"Are you just trying to get me up there so that you can take advantage of me?" Dawn asked defensively.

Paul let out a snort.

"You really think I'm like the idiots that your type like to date. I'm no playboy, Troublesome. I'd never lay a finger on a girl who wasn't my girlfriend. Especially not you."

Dawn didn't know whether to take offense to that or not.

"You would never get a girlfriend," she said. She immediately looked away from him so that she wouldn't see the anger in his eyes. She hadn't meant for the words to come out in such a cold, cruel way.

Paul did not answer. The air seemed to be frozen around the two of them, as though they were suspended in time.

Eventually, Dawn couldn't take it anymore, and she turned her head back towards him. He was still staring at the screen of his DS, but his fingers were no longer tapping at the buttons. He blew some air at his bangs, causing the feathery strands of hair to rise and fall back above his eyes.

Paul rose to his feet, folding the game system and returning it to his pocket.

"Come on, Troublesome," he said, heading back towards the elevator.

Reluctantly, she followed him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So, are you any good at video games?" Paul asked Dawn. She was sitting on one of the two beds in the boy's hotel room, looking rather nervous about her surroundings. Paul had noticed a pair of Ash's boxers on the floor, and he kicked them under the bed with an irritated roll of his eyes.

"I've played video games before, but I'm kinda average," Dawn said.

"Good enough," Paul said, turning on the Nintendo Wii. The boys had ordered video games for their entire stay at the hotel. All four of them had claimed that the vacation was too long to go without mindless hours of ass-kicking electronic fun.

Paul threw the second Wii remote too Dawn, who studied it briefly before holding it comfortably in her hand. Soon, the title screen for Super Smash Brothers Brawl appeared on the television.

"Ooh, I've played this before!" Dawn said excitedly. "I'm not so bad at it either!"

"We'll see about that," Paul said nonchalantly as he set up a survival match with ten lives each. When the time came for choosing characters, Paul chose Wolf, and Dawn chose Zelda.

"I'd expect nothing less from you than to choose a stupid princess," Paul jeered.

Dawn let out a grunt and switched her character to Lucario instead.

"No we can each choose a computer character to be our teammate," Paul said. He selected Samus.

A smirk grew on Dawn's face.

"You only chose her because you know she'll become Zero-Suit Samus after she used her smash move. You just want to see a blonde chick in a tight jumpsuit," she accused.

Paul blushed at her words, but didn't admit to anything.

Dawn had a funny idea, and chose Snake to be her partner. Paul shot her a sideways glance.

"Now who's the one choosing a character for their sex-appeal?" he taunted.

Dawn snorted and covered her laugh with her hand.

"Does that mean you think Snake is sexy?" she teased.

"No!" Paul said in disgust. "I am straight!"

Dawn giggled again as Paul pressed start. This girl was getting annoying, and he didn't know how to respond to some of her jeers. Maybe she wasn't as dumb as she acted...

As they played the game, Paul found out the hard way that Dawn was most certainly not "average" when it came to video games. She was astounding. She wiped the floor with him, and that was a huge blow to his ego.

The bluenette stared sideways at him, a bemused look on her face.

"We're playing again," he muttered, forcefully pressing the start button.

Dawn just laughed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bet you guys weren't expecting that to be Dawn and Paul's date. If you've never played Super Smash Bros, then that was probably confusing. Sorry! I hope you got the main ideas of the interaction between Dawn and Paul though. And he _does _still have to take her to the club next chapter, so that will be more like a date, okay?

Please review! I enjoy you guys' reviews so much!


	9. Chapter 9: Clubbing

I am so so so so so so sorry for the extremely late update. Some of you may have gotten the memo on my profile saying that I wouldn't be returning to Fanfiction until summer. Well, I'm back early! Just couldn't stay away :D And I found some inspiration for this story again, so if you like this story, I hope your glad that I'm back!

I'm really excited to write this chapter! I always enjoy reading clubbing scenes in stories, and now I get to write one. Well, I've written them before, but never in a normal sense. Usually it's the humor category that gets my club scenes. So it's like I'm attempting something new, but not completely. I don't really know what I'm trying to say.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"The boys said that they'd meet us at the club," Misty said. "They needed to go somewhere first, so they left early."

"I wonder where they are going," commented Dawn, who was wearing neon pink skinny jeans with black leopard print on them. She also wore a black fishnet shirt that had one long right sleeve and no left sleeve, with a light pink spaghetti strap tank top underneath. Pink flats were on her feet, and silver hoop earrings hung on her ears. Her hair was tied back in a feathery ponytail, some loose strands hanging here and there.

The other girls all wore identical skinny jeans in their signature colors: Leaf in neon green, Misty in neon blue, and May in bright red. They'd bought them last year when they had been shopping together, and they had all adored the cute leopard print design.

"Maybe they're buying pills to drug our drinks," Leaf joked. She wore a white lacy tank with the short black jacket from earlier. She wore black flats and black hoop earrings. Her hair was down like always.

May looked uneasy, but no one noticed. Even though she'd confessed her secret to Drew, she didn't want to tell her friends yet. She didn't want them to think of her as a victim. The brunette was wearing a navy blue halter top, and her signature red bandana. Sparkling red flats were on her feet, and pearl earrings were on her ears.

"The only guy who would do that is your date, Leaf," Misty pointed out. She wore a white T-shirt with a medium blue colored vest. She also wore white flats and gold seashell shaped earrings.

Leaf stuck her tongue out at Misty childishly. "Gary isn't as bad as I thought," she admitted.

"Ooh. Leafy has a crush," Dawn teased. She was happy for her friend. Misty and May were sharing smiles as well.

Leaf blushed and waved her hand dismissively. "Of course not," she denied. "He's a friend. Nothing more. Now let's go before we're late."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"This is so fucking stupid," grumbled Paul. "We're seventeen years old for Arceus sake."

"Lighten up, plum boy," Gary retorted. "You're never too old for truth or dare."

"I beg to differ," Paul jeered. "When we were twelve, this was okay, but now that we're older, these dares are getting out of hand."

Ash was currently standing on the roof of a clothing store, staring down at the other three boys. "Are you sure that you guys will catch me?" he asked nervously.

"No sweat, Ashy boy! Just make sure you warn us before you jump!" Gary called up to him.

"I need a few more seconds," Ash responded.

"Who's turn is it next anyway?" Drew asked.

"Ash gets to ask Paul truth or dare," Gary responded.

_Great. I really hate this game. I'll have to get Gary back when it's my turn,_ thought Paul.

"Okay. I'm ready to jump now!" Ash said.

"Shit," muttered Drew. "I didn't think he would really do it. I thought he would chicken out. Otherwise I never would have dared him to do it."

Gary and Paul had already moved into position, ready to catch Ash. Drew then joined them, looking a bit concerned.

"Three, two, one!" Ash shouted, diving off of the roof. He fell downwards, and landed in the other three boys' arms, which broke his fall, but they still dropped him on the ground.

"You said you would catch me!" Ash said as they pulled him to his feet.

"We tried," Drew said. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"Well... I'm a bit shocked after hitting the sidewalk, but I don't think anything's broken," Ash said, pressing on his ribs. "It's a good thing that Pikachu is at the Pokemon Center for a checkup tonight. You guys might've gotten electrocuted after you dropped me."

"Well, you completed my dare, so you don't get a penalty," Drew said. "Now you get to ask Paul truth or dare."

"Truth or dare?!" Ash shouted, pointing his finger in Paul's face. Paul smacked his hand away and sneered.

"Dare," he said. Paul had learned over the years that it was always a bad idea to choose truth. There were two reasons for this: One, it made you look weak. And two, the truths were always a bit... disturbing. One time, Gary had asked him if he'd ever had a sexual fantasy about his mom. Of course he hadn't! That was disgusting! After that, he'd never chosen truth again.

Although, choosing dare had gotten him into a lot of trouble. Paul had been made to dye his hair black for a day, use a women's public restroom, throw a condom at a preschooler, and several other embarrassing things due to this stupid game.

Ash was pondering what Paul's dare should be. Ash was always so indecisive. After five minutes, the others were becoming irritated.

"Spit it out already!" Paul yelled.

"I know! I dare you to kiss Dawn tonight!" Ash yelled triumphantly.

"Ooooooooooh!" said Drew and Gary in that way that guys do.

_Shit, _thought Paul. _I hate Ash so much._

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"This place is incredible!" Dawn gasped. The girls had just arrived at the teen club, and were transfixed by the flashing strobe lights and loud music. A song with a pulsating beat blared through the building, and several young people were dancing about the spacious room.

"Does anyone see the guys?" May asked, looking around the room. She couldn't find Drew's face in the crowd. Or rather, his bright green hair would be an easier target to find.

"No," replied Dawn. "Maybe they're running late or something?"

Dawn suddenly felt a shove from behind, which sent her staggering forward a few steps.

"Oops. Sorry!" a girl with long, light blue hair said apologetically.

"It's okay," Dawn said with a smile. She was going to go ahead and introduce herself, but the girl just gave a shy nod and then ran off into the crowd.

"That was weird," Leaf said. "She must be in a hurry to find someone."

"Hey! I found the guys!" Misty announced, and the others turned around to see them coming through the door. They all wore blue jeans and leather jackets with white T-shirts under them. Gary wore a dark blue jacket, Paul a purple jacket, Ash a red jacket, and Drew a dark green jacket.

"Sorry we're late," Drew apologized for all of the guys.

"Yeah. Let's get a table," Paul grumbled as he walked right by the girls. Everyone else exchanged glances and then followed him.

They found a table that could sit eight people, and took their seats, each girl sitting next to the appropriate guy. They ordered assorted soft drinks from their waiter, who was a nice girl with dark purple hair tied back.

The group of teens began making light conversation. Everyone seemed to be avoiding the topic of the dates they had just been on.

"Soooo, are there any new couples sitting at this table tonight?" Dawn teased. Being the only one in a relationship gave her the power to tease everyone else and she loved it.

Ash, Misty, Gary, Leaf, May, and Drew had all acquired blushes on their face, while Paul just turned his eyes up to the ceiling in annoyance.

Dawn giggled lightly to herself. Looked like today's dates were a success.

Suddenly, the music died down and a slower melody began to play. The lights changed, bathing the club in a soft pink hue.

"I love this song!" Leaf exclaimed. It was Dancing Away With My Heart by Lady Antebellum.

"Would you like to dance?" Gary asked her. Leaf blushed. She wanted to make a witty response, but the way he was looking at her... she wanted to dance with him. She nodded shyly and Gary lead her out to the floor.

Soon, Ash and Misty joined them, and so did May and Drew. Dawn and Paul stayed at the table.

Dawn stared at Paul. Of course he wouldn't offer to dance with her. Well, not she wanted to dance with him anyway. She had a boyfriend. Dancing with Paul would be wrong.

_I really wish Kenny was here so that I could have fun along with everyone else, _thought Dawn. _I sure do miss him. I'll send him an email tonight._

While she was thinking to herself, Dawn hadn't noticed that Paul was staring at her.

"What?" she asked in annoyance.

The lavender-haired boy just grunted and turned his attention elsewhere.

_What bit him in the ass? _Dawn wondered.

Soon, the song ended, and the lights turned to the mini-stage that sat in the back corner of the club. A girl with blonde hair stood wearing a black dress that reached to her knees and a purple sweater. She also had a headset on her head.

"Is everyone having a good time?" she asked into the microphone. She was answered by a chorus of cheers from around the room. "My name is Corrine, and I'm the hostess of this club for those of you who don't already know. It's Friday night! Do you all know what that means?!"

"It's karaoke night!" everyone shouted.

Dawn let out a gasp. "Karaoke night?! May totally has to sing!" she squealed. Paul watched as she got out of her seat and made her way across the floor to May.

_She's even troublesome to her friends, _he thought. _How the hell am I going to kiss her? She's taken, and I don't even like her._

By the time Dawn reached May, Misty and Leaf were already assaulting her.

"You have to sing," Leaf said. "You have an amazing voice!"

"But there are so many people..." May trailed off.

"Don't worry about that. They'll love you," Misty insisted.

"What if we sing too?" Dawn asked as she walked up.

"Hey! Where do you get off volunteering all of us?" Misty asked.

"I'm not opposed to it," Leaf said with a shrug. "Let's each sing a song. That's only fair."

"Okay. How do we decide who goes first?" May asked. She was still nervous, but if the others were doing it too, then she could handle it. Drew was standing next to her, patting her back to assure her.

"I'll go first. Since I volunteered us all in the first place," Dawn said. "Besides, I already have a song picked out."

The bluenette made her way up to the stage. When she took the mike from Corrine, she whispered her song choice into her ear, and the blonde girl talked into her headset to inform the DJ.

While the DJ looked for the song, Dawn talked to the audience. "I hope you don't mind another slow song," she said to them. No one protested. In fact, people began making their way to the dance floor.

Soon, the song began to play, and people smiled as they recognized it. Dawn had chosen this song because she'd been thinking of Kenny.

Ocean's apart day after day  
And I slowly go insane  
I hear your voice on the line  
But it doesn't stop the pain

If I see you next to never  
How can we say forever

Wherever you go  
Whatever you do  
I will be right here waiting for you  
Whatever it takes  
Or how my heart breaks  
I will be right here waiting for you

I took for granted, all the times  
That I thought would last somehow  
I hear the laughter, I taste the tears  
But I can't get near you now

Oh, can't you see it baby  
You've got me going crazy

Wherever you go  
Whatever you do  
I will be right here waiting for you  
Whatever it takes  
Or how my heart breaks  
I will be right here waiting for you

I wonder how we can survive  
This romance  
But in the end if I'm with you  
I'll take the chance

Oh, can't you see it baby  
You've got me going crazy

Wherever you go  
Whatever you do  
I will be right here waiting for you  
Whatever it takes  
Or how my heart breaks  
I will be right here waiting for you

When the song ended, the audience clapped. Dawn wasn't as good of a singer as May, but she certainly wasn't bad.

"I'm going to go next," Leaf whispered to Gary, who she had been dancing with.

"Don't mess up," he joked as she walked away.

"Oh, I won't," she promised with a smirk.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

And I'm cutting it off there! All 3 other girls should sing next chapter. And of course we'll see if Paul kisses Dawn or not! Hehe.

Hopefully I'll update on time for once! We'll see, right? Please review! I really appreciate it when you guys give encouragement and advice! Thank you!


	10. Chapter 10: Kiss

Okay! Chapter 10! I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed or favorited or followed this story so far! It means a lot to me as a writer!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or any songs used in this story.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Looks like Leaf is going next," Misty said to May as they watched the brunette walk up to the stage and tell her song choice to Corrine, then take the mike from Dawn.

"Who's ready for an upbeat song?" Leaf asked the crowd. An eruption of cheers came from the crowd and Leaf smiled.

Suddenly, the lights went dark and flashes of red, orange, and purple strobe lights danced around the walls of the club as the music started.

_ Nice,_ thought Leaf as she shot a smirk toward Gary before she sang the first line.

Do you ever feel like a plastic bag  
Drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?  
Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin  
Like a house of cards, one blow from caving in?

Do you ever feel already buried deep six feet under?  
Scream but no one seems to hear a thing  
Do you know that there's still a chance for you  
'Cause there's a spark in you?

You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine  
Just own the night like the 4th of July

'Cause, baby, you're a firework  
Come on, show 'em what you're worth  
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"  
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby, you're a firework  
Come on, let your colors burst  
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"  
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe

You don't have to feel like a wasted space  
You're original, cannot be replaced  
If you only knew what the future holds  
After a hurricane comes a rainbow

Maybe you reason why all the doors are closed  
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road  
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will glow  
And when it's time you'll know

You just gotta ignite the light and let it shine  
Just own the night like the 4th of July

'Cause, baby, you're a firework  
Come on, show 'em what you're worth  
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"  
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby, you're a firework  
Come on, let your colors burst  
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"  
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe

Boom, boom, boom  
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon  
It's always been inside of you, you, you  
And now it's time to let it through-ough-ough

'Cause, baby, you're a firework  
Come on, show 'em what you're worth  
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"  
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby, you're a firework  
Come on, let your colors burst  
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh"  
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe, awe, awe

Boom, boom, boom  
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon  
Boom, boom, boom  
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon

Leaf finished the song by shooting a wink at May. She had chosen the song to try and give some confidence to her friend. May was smiling brightly at her. Maybe she was ready to sing now.

People continued clapping as Leaf made her way through the crowd to where May and Drew were standing.

"You were amazing, Leaf!" May said.

"Yeah. She wasn't too bad," said Gary as he joined them, a smirk on his face. Leaf punched his arm and turned back to May.

"So, are you going to sing next," Leaf asked.

"Yeah. For some reason, no one can find Misty. Ash is looking for her now, but I think she's in the restroom or something," May said with a shrug.

Leaf was a bit concerned for Misty, but she knew things were probably fine. Besides, after May had been having such a horrible time lately, she wouldn't miss her song for the world. As May began to make her way to the stage, Leaf headed over to the table to tell Dawn about Misty.

"No one knows where Misty is," she whispered to the bluenette. Could you go check for her in the restroom? I need to be here for May's song."

Dawn nodded and got up to go check the restroom, leaving Paul alone at the table. He just shrugged his shoulders and leaned back in his seat coolly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Misty sat on the floor in the very last stall of the restroom, Pokegear in hand. She'd been putting off listening to the voicemail from Rudy earlier that week. Her friends were keeping a close eye on her, and she knew if they caught her she'd get bombarded by statements like "you don't need him", "he's just a jerk", and "you can do so much better".

But now she was alone. No one else was even in the restroom with her. So she pressed the button that would dial her voicemail and held the device up to her ear. Soon, Rudy's voice could be heard.

"Misty... How long are you going to stay mad at me? I told you I want you back. Melody and I broke up, remember? I did it for you. She means nothing to me, Misty. Nothing. I'm sorry for what I said before. When I said you couldn't be with someone better than me... that's not what I meant. What I meant was... you won't find someone who loves you more than I do. I love you, Misty. Please give me one more chance. I love you more than any girl in the world."

With a soft click, the voicemail ended, and Misty closed her light blue Pokegear. Tears had formed in her eyes as she listened, and now they began to slide down her cheeks. Rudy could talk sweet when he wanted to. And she did still have some feelings for him. Maybe he was serious this time. Maybe her being completely gone from his life right now had shown him just how much he needed her. The third time's the charm after all. If she went back to him one more time, would he treat her right? Would things be different now?

She stared at the wall of the bathroom stall. Things had been scratched into the smooth surface. Things like "Christine + Gabriel forever" and "Laura loves Chad".

Unconsciously, Misty reached into her pocket and pulled out the pocket knife that she always kept on her. She flicked it open and held it up to the bathroom stall. Slowly, she pressed the blade in and carved the letters to Rudy's name. When she was done, she ran her finger across her work. Rudy...

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May whispered her song choice to Corrine and waited. She didn't say anything into the microphone because she was feeling a bit nervous. Drew caught her eye and shot her a smile though, so that made her feel a bit better.

She hoped that her song choice wasn't a mistake. She liked the song, but it was kind of a hard one to sing. She felt like she needed to do it though.

The music started and May took a deep breath before beginning to sing.

I don't wanna be left behind  
Distance was a friend of mine  
Catching breath in a web of lies  
I've spent most of my life  
Riding waves, playing acrobat  
Shadowboxing the other half  
Learning how to react  
I've spent most of my time

Catching my breath, letting it go,  
Turning my cheek for the sake of the show  
Now that you know, this is my life,  
I won't be told what's supposed to be right

Catch my breath, no one can hold me back,  
I ain't got time for that  
Catch my breath, won't let them get me down,  
It's all so simple now

Addicted to the love I found  
Heavy heart, now a weightless cloud  
Making time for the ones that count  
I'll spend the rest of my time  
Laughing hard with the windows down  
Leaving footprints all over town  
Keeping faith, karma comes around  
I will spend the rest of my life

Catching my breath, letting it go,  
Turning my cheek for the sake of the show  
Now that you know, this is my life,  
I won't be told what's supposed to be right

Catch my breath, no one can hold me back,  
I ain't got time for that  
Catch my breath, won't let them get me down,  
It's all so simple now

You helped me see  
The beauty in everything

Catching my breath, letting it go,  
Turning my cheek for the sake of the show  
Now that you know, this is my life,  
I won't be told what's supposed to be right

Catching my breath, letting it go,  
Turning my cheek for the sake of the show  
Now that you know, this is my life,  
I won't be told what's supposed to be right

Catch my breath

Catch my breath, no one can hold me back,  
I ain't got time for that  
Catch my breath, won't let them get me down,  
It's all so simple now  
It's all so simple now

Catching my breath, letting it go,  
Turning my cheek for the sake of the show  
Now that you know, this is my life,  
I won't be told what's supposed to be right

(Catch my breath)

Catch my breath, no one can hold me back,  
I ain't got time for that  
(Catch my breath)  
Catch my breath (catch my breath), won't let them get me down,  
It's all so simple now

Everyone in the room clapped madly. May had such a strong, beautiful voice. Everyone was impressed. Especially Drew. Leaf stood next to Gary, her eyes shining with pride for her friend. May had looked totally alive up there on the stage. She truly seemed like she belonged there when she sang.

As the brunette approached the group of three, Leaf scanned the crowd for Misty, Dawn, or Ash. None of them was anywhere to be seen, though.

"You were amazing," Drew said to May, and she practically glowed at the compliment. She waited for Leaf to make a comment, but the darker brunette seemed distracted.

"Leaf? What's wrong?" May asked.

"Misty hasn't been found yet. I sent Dawn to check the restroom, but she hasn't returned. And it's her turn to sing..."

"I'm sure someone else will go while we're waiting," May said. As the words left her mouth, the girl that had bumped into Dawn earlier took the stage. Her light blue hair looked even prettier under the stage lights. She began to sing "Halo" by "Beyonce" .

Leaf felt her Pokegear vibrate in her pocket and she pulled out the green device to see a text from Dawn.

_Misty is definitely in the restroom. I have things under control, so don't worry. We'll be back out there soon, kay?_

Leaf gave a reply and then told the others the news.

"I hope she's okay. Should we go help too?" May inquired.

"Dawn said she has things under control. That usually means that she wants us to stay out of something. Maybe Misty doesn't want to be around a lot of people right now, and its better just to have one person helping," Leaf said.

May nodded in understanding. Misty was like that sometimes. She hated looking weak in front of them. So it probably was better if they just let Dawn handle it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dawn put her pink Pokegear back in her pocket and turned to Ash. She had found him waiting outside the women's restroom, hoping that Misty would come out.

"I've searched the whole club. She has to be in here," he had said.

"I'll get her to come out, Ash," Dawn promised. "You just wait right here." With that, the bluenette entered the restroom and heard the sound of crying echoing off the walls.

"Misty?" she said softly.

The room immediately went silent.

"I know you're in here. Let me help you," Dawn said gently.

"I'm in the last stall," Misty called softly.

Dawn made her way to the back and Misty unlocked the door to let her in. Luckily, it was the large stall with the bar along the wall for people who needed assistance, and there was enough room for her to join the red head on the floor.

"What's wrong?" Dawn asked. "Aren't you having a good time with Ash?"

"Yes... but," Misty sobbed and turned away, wiping her eyes with toilet paper. A whole pile of wet toilet paper wads sat next to her on the floor.

Dawn turned away from her to give her a moment to compose herself. She looked at the wall of the stall and saw the carvings in it. One stood out to her more than the others. Rudy.

"Misty... did you do that?" Dawn asked, gesturing to the name.

"Yes," Misty admitted.

"He's playing you, Misty," Dawn said firmly.

"But... what if he's changed?" Misty said quietly.

"People like that," Dawn said, pointing at the carving again, "Don't change."

Misty stared forward at the carving. Dawn wasn't hugging her or telling her that she could do better, or unleashing an insane attack of insults on Rudy. She was simply telling the truth, and maybe that's the only thing that she needed to hear.

"You're right," Misty said with a small nod.

Dawn smiled lightly. "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up. Ash is waiting outside. And we all can't wait to hear you sing!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"There they are!" May said as Misty, Dawn, and Ash approached them.

"Yep! We're back! And Misty is ready to sing!" Dawn announced with pep.

"Awesome! Go ahead and take the stage, Misty!" Leaf said encouragingly. Misty smiled and made her way to the stage. She knew exactly what song she wanted to sing. And she hoped that the words would be so powerful that Rudy could hear them all the way back in Jubilife City.

Misty told her song choice to Corrine and stepped up to the microphone with confidence.

"This song is for the #!*% that broke my heart twice, and keeps trying to get back with me," she said into the microphone.

The audience gave a chorus of "oohs" and someone in the back even shouted a "You go, girl!"

The song began playing, and the room was filled with a sad, powerful piano melody.

No, I can't take one more step towards you  
'Cause all that's waiting is regret  
Don't you know I'm not your ghost anymore  
You lost the love I loved the most

I learned to live half alive  
And now you want me one more time

And who do you think you are?  
Runnin' 'round leaving scars  
Collecting your jar of hearts  
And tearing love apart  
You're gonna catch a cold  
From the ice inside your soul  
So don't come back for me  
Who do you think you are?

I hear you're asking all around  
If I am anywhere to be found  
But I have grown too strong  
To ever fall back in your arms

And I've learned to live half alive  
And now you want me one more time

And who do you think you are?  
Runnin' 'round leaving scars  
Collecting your jar of hearts  
And tearing love apart  
You're gonna catch a cold  
From the ice inside your soul  
So don't come back for me  
Who do you think you are?

And it took so long just to feel alright  
Remember how to put back the light in my eyes  
I wish I had missed the first time that we kissed  
'Cause you broke all your promises  
And now you're back  
You don't get to get me back

And who do you think you are?  
Runnin' 'round leaving scars  
Collecting your jar of hearts  
And tearing love apart  
You're gonna catch a cold  
From the ice inside your soul  
So don't come back for me  
Don't come back at all

And who do you think you are?  
Runnin' 'round leaving scars  
Collecting your jar of hearts  
Tearing love apart  
You're gonna catch a cold  
From the ice inside your soul  
Don't come back for me  
Don't come back at all

Who do you think you are?

Who do you think you are?

Who do you think you are?

The crowed screamed and cheered even louder for Misty than they had for May. The red head felt empowered by their praise. She knew that Rudy was a person in her past now. And it would stay that way.

"We're proud of you, Misty," Leaf said as she and May gave the girl a hug.

"I'm proud of me too," Misty said. "Where's Dawn?"

"I think she went back to the table to sit with Paul," May answered.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dawn saw Paul sitting at the table alone. She decided to join him, even though she didn't really want to.

The lights in the club had faded to a dark blue to match Misty's song. It gave the room a bit of an eerie feeling.

"Hey," Dawn said as she took a seat next to Paul. He answered with a grunt. "Why don't you want to have fun like the others?"

"This isn't fun, Troublesome," Paul replied.

"Stop calling me that!" Dawn fumed.

"You're voice is annoying. Maybe I should shut you up," Paul grunted.

"Oh yeah? And how are you going to do that?" Dawn said sassily. The next thing she knew, Paul's lips were upon hers, moving roughly against her strawberry lip gloss.

Her eyes widened as she realized what was happening, but she couldn't move. She was frozen in place by shock and confusion. What did Paul think he was doing?

Suddenly, he pulled away, and the lavender-haired boy got up from his seat and made a quick exit, leaving Dawn alone at the table feeling sweaty and embarrassed.

Why did he do that? And why didn't she push him away?

Dawn suddenly wanted to cry.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

So there you have it! Dawn and Paul kissed! Well, half kissed. But I'm sure most of you Ikarishippers are bouncing in glee right now, so yeah :)

Please review! I'd love to know what you guys think!

And also, there's a question that I'd like you to answer if you review. Which couple do you think will get together first? This is purely for my own curiosity. I wonder how many of you will get it right? :)


	11. Chapter 11: Aftermath

Wow. Like 3 hours after I put chapter 10 up, I'd already gotten 8 reviews! And then more just kept coming in! Thank you all so much! You guys really like this, huh? Well, that makes me totally happy! And it makes me want to update faster, so then everyone is happy, right? Hehe :)

Also, feel free to give me song suggestions for later on, because they will definitely sing again. The guys will sing at some point too, so suggest songs for them as well. I don't want to be swamped by songs though, so there's a limit. Please don't give me more than 3 suggestions per person. I don't have time to look up hundreds of songs, hehe. But if I use a song you suggest, I'll mention you at the beginning of the chapter its used in. Thank you in advance.

Disclaimer: No one on this site owns Pokemon and we all know it.

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_Dear Kenny,_

_ The girls and I are still having a great time on our vacation. I still miss you so much :( I wish we could be together right now._

_ Guess what? I really think those guys I mentioned before are hitting it off with May, Misty, and Leaf! It's so adorable!_

Dawn paused as her mind went to war with itself. Should she tell Kenny about the dates? Should she tell him about the kiss? It would be the right thing to do, right? But she hadn't gone on the date willingly... And all she and Paul had done was play video games. The kiss though... that was kind of a serious thing, wasn't it? But he had kissed her... and she hadn't reciprocated in any way... although she probably should have pushed him off of her...

The bluenette stared out the window. Out here in Undella Bay, you could see the stars in the sky. Back in Jubilife City, there were too many street lights at night to see the beautiful sight. The other girls had all gone to sleep, but Dawn was wide awake after what had happened earlier that evening.

Dawn didn't know what to do. She knew she hadn't done anything wrong, but she still felt guilty. She knew that Kenny deserved to know what had happened, but she didn't want to upset him or cause him to worry about her while she was gone. She knew that he would be understanding about it. Kenny was always understanding. He was sweet as could be. Always treating her like a princess and buying her gifts and such. How could she keep this secret from him? He was perfect, and people were always telling her that she was lucky to have him. That they were a perfect couple with the kind of love people are jealous of.

_I hope you're having a great summer too, Kenny. When I come back, we'll spend the whole day together. Okay?_

_ Love, Dawn_

The bluenette clicked the send button and ignored the gnawing feeling in her chest. There was no reason to cause Kenny any heartache. It wasn't like she had cheated on him. He didn't need to know that any of this ever happened. It was over now. She and Paul wouldn't be going on a date ever again, and they could just put that kiss behind them.

But still... why had he done it?

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

_I hope Ketchum is happy. If Troublesome tells the other girls about what I did, then they might gang up on me and hang me from a palm tree or something. I need to get Gary back now that it's my turn to ask him truth or dare. He's the reason we still play this stupid game. I don't think Drew or Ash really cares much for it anymore, but it's a "tradition"._

Paul was awake before his other three friends as usual. Unlike the typical teenage boy, he was an early riser. He was a bit of a night owl too, which meant overall, he didn't sleep much.

The lavender-haired boy didn't mind his habits though. He enjoyed having the time to himself to think. He found that he often developed his best ideas in the morning. Luckily, this morning was not an exception.

_Oh you're going to be sorry, Gary Oak. Because I just thought of the greatest dare ever for you. And it involves that nerdy brunette of yours._

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Where are my contacts?" Leaf asked, searching around the hotel room. She had to leave for another lecture in a few minutes, and the green case that housed her contacts was nowhere to be found.

"Don't you remember where you put them last night?" May asked, helping the brunette search.

"I thought I left them on my nightstand, but I guess not," Leaf replied. "I'm going to be late if I don't leave now... I guess I'll have to wear my glasses. Gary better not make fun of me." She reached into her travelling bag that had been tossed in the corner and pulled out a glasses case. She snapped it open and put on the pair of nerdy black glasses that were inside. They had rectangular lenses and fairly thick frames.

"It's okay, Leaf! You look great in glasses!" Dawn said. She'd emerged from the bathroom a few moments before and had caught the end of the two brunettes' conversation.

"Thanks, Dawn," Leaf said before rushing out the door.

"Well, I guess it's just you and me now, May," Dawn said, picking out an outfit from the hotel dresser.

"Yeah. I can't believe Ash and Misty are spending the day together," May said with a giggle. Ever since she'd told Drew about what happened, she'd felt a little bit better, but the brunette still grieved inside for the tragedy she'd endured. She didn't know if she'd ever be able to be her old self again. She felt used... like she wasn't good enough for anyone now that she'd been tainted. Her heart was broken. She didn't know how to live anymore.

"Yeah. They must've really hit it off last night. I'm glad that Misty finally got over Rudy. He was no good for her," Dawn said.

"He isn't good for anyone," May said. "So what should we do today?"

"Well... How about we go shopping!?" Dawn suggested gleefully.

May smiled. Dawn was such a shopping fanatic. "Okay," she agreed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Woah," Gary said, taken aback by Leaf's different look. "You wear glasses?"

"I couldn't find my contacts this morning," Leaf explained curtly. _If he goes on about this he'll be sorry, _she thought to herself.

"You know, glasses are kind of sexy," Gary said flirtatiously. Leaf smacked him upside the head and began walking down the hallway. He followed after her rubbing his cheek. For a girl, she hit pretty hard.

"It was a compliment," he said.

"It was something a player would say," Leaf corrected. "And I don't like hanging out with players. Unlike most of the girls you've been with, I'm not a slut."

_Ouch, _Gary thought. _Leaf is acting like Leaf again._

"What happened to the attitude you had yesterday?" Gary asked.

"I had to be pleasant yesterday. It was your special little date that you worked so hard to get, or should I say, Paul worked so hard to get. You did lose in your battle against me after all," she said, hiding her smirk and trying to remain sophisticated.

"Shut up. What gives you the right to treat me so bad?" Gary asked. "I'm smart, rich, and attractive. What's not to like? I'm practically superior to you in every way."

Leaf spun around. "What was that?" she asked.

Gary realized what he had just said and fought the urge to run away from the angry female standing in front of him.

"You're smart, rich, and attractive, huh? Well, I'm definitely smarter than you, my family is also rich, and according to you; I'm very attractive, so how are you superior to me at all?" she challenged.

"Your family is rich?" Gary asked.

"Yes. Very rich," Leaf answered. "But unlike you, I don't brag about my money." With that, she spun around again, increasing her pace.

Gary walked fast to catch up to her. "Look, I'm sorry, Leaf. I didn't mean to anger you. I was just frustrated with all your stinging comment. Probably because they're true."

Leaf stopped in her tracks. Was Gary admitting a weakness?

"Besides, why would I want to insult a pretty little thing like you?" Gary said gently.

Leaf tried to ignore the feelings she was getting from Gary's words. As much as she hated to admit it, he was attractive, and there were certain things about him that she liked a little bit.

_Dammit, Paul. I can't believe I'm about to do this, _Gary thought as he began to lean towards Leaf.

_Holy crap! Is he going to kiss me? _Leaf thought as she saw Gary coming closer. Just as she was preparing herself for the lip contact, Gary's hands lunged toward her and grabbed her chest, giving a quick squeeze before recoiling back to their original position.

Leaf was so shocked that she couldn't speak.

_Gary Oak, prepare to go through hell on earth, _she thought.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Stop that, Ash!" Misty half shouted - half laughed. Ash was tickling her sides and that was where she was most sensitive.

"You have to say uncle!" Ash demanded, tickling her harder. The two of them had gone out to eat earlier and then returned to the hotel. They were currently hanging out on the lobby couches and having a one-sided tickle fight.

"Never!" Misty shouted, reaching between Ash's arms and tickling his stomach. The two were laughing hysterically, and they rolled off the couch and toppled onto the carpeted floor. The tickle fight then ceased, but the laughter didn't.

Misty was on top of Ash and their faces were only a few inches apart. Soon, their laughter died down and they were left staring into each other's eyes while panting softly.

The moment was interrupted by the sound of Misty's Pokegear vibrating. She got off of Ash and sat on the floor, pulling the device out of her jean shorts pocket and studying the screen. Rudy.

"Not again," she said in irritation.

"Is it him?" Ash asked.

"Yeah," Misty replied, pressing the button to accept the call.

"What do you want?" Misty said harshly. Her phone was on speaker, so Ash was able to hear everything that was said on the other end.

"Still so cold, Baby?" Rudy asked. "I thought you would've called me back and accepted my apology by now, but you haven't. Can't you see how badly I need you?"

"Not really," Misty retorted. "You're thousands of miles away and whatever ho you're currently seeing could be in the restroom while you're making this call."

"I haven't been with any girl ever since I broke up with Melody for you," Rudy insisted.

"That's another thing. How do I know you broke up with her? What if she just broke up with you and you're running back to me for a rebound?" Misty asked.

"If I was looking for a rebound, I would go for a girl who's actually here in Jubilife City," Rudy pointed out. "But I really did break up with Melody. You're the only one for me, Misty."

The red-haired girl was silent for a moment, taking in the boy's words. "Well, you're not the only one for me," she said and clicked the end button.

"You okay?" Ash asked, scooting closer to Misty.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me, Ash. Rudy may be a sweet talker, but I'm not dumb," Misty said with a smile. "Now let's get back to having fun!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Isn't this skirt adorable, May?!" Dawn squealed.

"It's a bit short," said a deep voice laced with irritation.

Dawn whipped around to see none other than Paul standing behind her. He was looking away from her, but she could still see the profile of his face.

"You..." she muttered, putting the skirt back on the rack. "You think you can just get away with what you did last night?"

Paul shrugged nonchalantly. "Aren't you used to doing that all the time? You are a cheerleader after all. You probably make out with a different boy every day, and all we did was touch lips for a few seconds."

"_We _did not kiss. _You _kissed _me_," Dawn said, making her feelings on the subject clear. She glanced around the strip mall, looking for her companion. "Now where did May get off to?" the bluenette muttered.

"She went off with Drew. You were too busy drooling over these whore skirts to notice," Paul said coldly.

"What have I done to make you think I'm a whore?" Dawn asked in exasperation. "If anyone's a whore, it's you! You're the one who came onto someone who's in a relationship already!"

A few shoppers stopped to give the two of them questioning looks before moving on. Dawn blushed in embarrassment.

"Nice one, Troublesome," Paul grumbled.

"And stop calling me that!" she said, stomping her foot in irritation.

"Never. I'll carve it into your gravestone," Paul said.

"You won't be able to because you'll die before me!" Dawn snapped.

"You don't know that," Paul pointed out.

"The ice in your frozen soul will cause your blood to freeze and kill you," Dawn muttered.

"Whatever," Paul said, walking away.

"Hey! We're not done yet!" Dawn yelled, chasing after him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Is it really safe to leave Dawn with Paul this long?" May asked before sipping her chocolate milkshake.

"Of course it's safe. Just cause he kissed her last night it doesn't mean anything," Drew assured her, taking a sip of his strawberry milkshake.

May nearly choked on her sip of shake. "He did _what_?!" she asked in shock/

"Oh... I guess she didn't tell you guys," Drew said.

"Dawn and Paul kissed!?" May screeched. "But Dawn is dating Kenny! How could she do that to him!?"

"No no no no no!" Drew said quickly. "He kissed her! She didn't reciprocate in any way! And he only did it because Ash dared him."

"Ash... dared him..." May said dumbly, looking at Drew.

"We kinda... well... We play truth or dare, okay!?" Drew said awkwardly.

May shook her head. "Stupid boys," she muttered. "Dawn must feel awful about what happened. She probably feels guilty! What if it effects her relationship with Kenny? And we left her alone with Paul?! Why did we do that?!"

"Calm down," Drew said. "Dawn can hold her own."

"That's true," May sighed. "But we should probably join up with them again."

"Yeah," Drew agreed. "We don't want them to get thrown in the mall jail," he joked.

"Let's go look for them," May giggled.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

All done! I feel like this was actually a decent chapter for once. I hope you guys feel the same :)

Please review! And remember that you can suggest songs! But only 3 or less per person please! And as for your responses to my question last chapter, some of you are right, and some of you are wrong, but I will tell you that it is either Pokeshipping or Contestshipping that will get together first, and no one guessed anything else, so that means I'm conveying things the way I want to. Good :) Thank you for answering the question last chapter so I could see that!


	12. Chapter 12: Reactions

Sorry for the late update. I didn't have internet access for a little while.

Okay. Time to continue onward. Sorry that there wasn't much Dawn and Paul last chapter. It has to start out slow, people. Slow. We're looking at a 25-30 chapter story here.

Now, who's excited to find out what Leaf does to Gary? I know I am! I actually don't know, because I'm writing this story as I go. I have basically nothing planned except the ending. So let's find out what happens next together, okay?

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Gary didn't know if he should run, or face his punishment like a man. One thing was certain though: the rage of the brunette in front of him was something he didn't want to experience.

"You did not... just do that," Leaf said, her face as red as a Cherubi.

"Maybe I did," Gary responded. Even though he was very much afraid, his voice still came out cocky and arrogant.

"You're going to pay, Oak!" Leaf yelled. She pulled a pokeball out of her bag. "Butterfree, go!"

The butterfly Pokemon appeared in the red beam of light and awaited instructions.

"Use string shot!" Leaf commanded. "Tie up this loser!" Butterfree released the white string of webbing and wrapped up Gary.

"It was a mistake, Leaf! I won't ever do it again!" Gary protested.

"A _mistake_?" Leaf guffawed. "Are you saying that you _accidentally _felt me up right now? Yeah right!"

_ #!*% #!*% #!*% , _Gary thought. _What can I say to make her stop?_

"Butterfree, grab him and follow me!" Leaf commanded. The butterfly Pokemon grabbed hold of Gary's shoulders and followed Leaf out of the building.

_This is gonna be great, _Leaf thought. _It's almost worth getting felt up just to do this to him!_

_ Paul is going to owe me big time, _Gary thought. _I wonder where Leaf is taking me? Well, one thing's for sure. I'm going to regret this._

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Leaf walked down the hall to the room where the lecture was being held, straightening her glasses and glancing around nervously.

"Nice of you to join us," commented the professor dryly. "And may I ask why you are arriving late?"

"I was, um, using the restroom," Leaf lied.

"Using the restroom?" the professor asked, not buying it.

"It was, um, an emergency. I couldn't help it," Leaf said.

The professor blushed a little bit. "Just please take a seat," he said, looking down at his notes before turning to the whiteboard behind him.

_Heh. The old faking womanly issues trick always works on males, _Leaf thought slyly as she sat in a chair and took out her notebook. _I hope Gary is having a good time._

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Stop following me!" Paul moaned in exasperation. Dawn had been tailing him throughout the whole mall, making her annoying comments as usual. She dissed his music in the CD store, sneered at his violent video games, and now she was telling him that the soft pretzel he was snacking on would make him fat. What idiot guy back in Shinnoh would date this annoying creature? She did have soft lips though...

Wait. What the #!*% was he thinking? Her lips weren't soft. They were sticky with lip gloss. And he had not liked it. Nope. Not one bit.

"Where are we going now?" Dawn asked as they walked, ignoring Paul's demand for her to stop following him. "Will it be somewhere interesting this time?"

"Hey, you're the one choosing to follow me! If you don't like where we go then that's your own problem," Paul grumbled.

"You're so hostile," Dawn complained. "Have you ever tried being nice?"

"No," Paul answered.

"You should try it sometime. It's quite rewarding."

"Never."

"Mr. Grumpy Pants..."

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Paul whipped around and glared at Dawn. This girl was driving him insane! He couldn't take another second of this.

"Girls shouldn't be allowed to talk," he muttered, turning around and continuing on his way.

"That's sexist," Dawn said dryly.

"Sure as #!*% is," Paul said faking cheerfulness. Dawn whacked him with a shopping bag full of clothes.

"You need a better weapon," Paul said bluntly. "I hardly felt that."

Dawn whacked him with the bag again, hitting him in the back of his head pretty hard.

"What the #!*% , Troublesome!? Are you trying to snap my neck?!" Paul yelled.

"You said it didn't hurt," Dawn commented indignantly.

Paul let out a groan of frustration. What had he done to deserve this? Oh, that's right. He kissed her. That's what he'd done to deserve this.

"Haven't I been punished enough?" Paul moaned.

"Absolutely not!" Dawn replied cheerily. "I've only just begun my revenge!"

Paul face-palmed. This was so unfair, but he couldn't do anything about it. _Looks like I'm stuck with her for the rest of the day. Why did Drew have to run off with Bandana Head? _he thought miserably.

"Oh my goodness!" Dawn gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.

"What?" asked Paul irritably. Dawn replied by pointing a finger towards the fountain in the center of the mall. Paul looked over to see what glorious thing had finally gotten the bluenette to shut her mouth.

As he took the sight in, the lavender-haired boy busted out laughing.

"That's so much better than anything I could have imagined!" he gasped, doubling over with laughter.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"We've been searching for nearly two hours," May said worriedly. "And there's still no sign of them. Where could they have gotten off to?"

"I wouldn't worry," Drew said casually. "This strip mall is big, and we could just be walking by a store they're in or even following them in circles. I'm sure they're both fine. In fact, Dawn is probably talking Paul's ears off by now. He likes to argue, but every man has their breaking point when it comes to a chatty woman."

May giggled and punched Drew's arm lightly. "Does that mean you'll get fed up with me eventually too?"

"You're not a chatty woman. You're more laid back and refreshing," Drew said with a smirk.

"And you're a smooth talker," May said with a grin.

"True that, but I'm also a gentleman."

"You're above the average man," May conceded.

"That's it? I'm just 'above average'?" Drew pouted.

May didn't answer. She was busy staring at a couple a few feet away who were practically having sex in the mall. The guy was feeling every inch of the girl, who was dressed rather like a #!*% , as she kissed him and moaned into his mouth.

May shuddered and looked away, crossing her arms over her body as memories of what it felt like to be touched flashed through her mind.

Drew's eyes darkened as he walked away from May and approached the couple, who didn't notice his presence as he stood next to them. He leaned his face right up to their ears and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Hey! Get a room!"

The couple jumped in shock and then stared at him in distaste as people stopped to clap at Drew's act against the PDA. The girl glared daggers at his back as he returned to May. She had long, straight, red hair that went past her shoulders and bright red eyes. She continued to glare at him even as her boyfriend lead her away.

"Are you okay, May?" Drew asked in concern.

"I'm fine. Don't worry," May assured him. "And that was really cool of you by the way."

"No problem. I actually rather enjoyed it," he admitted. "Now let's keep searching for Paul and Dawn." The green-haired boy put his arm around May's shoulders, and she didn't flinch or object, but rather leaned into him a bit as they walked.

Soon, they approached the fountain at the center of the mall.

"There's Dawn and Paul," May said, pointing at the other side of the fountain. "Is Paul... laughing?"

The normally grumpy boy was indeed having a laughing fit while Dawn seemed to be scolding him and making gestures at the fountain. May looked at the fountain, but she didn't see anything unusual. Certainly nothing that would cause Paul to laugh.

"Let's go find out what the heck is going on," Drew said. Once they reached Dawn and Paul, the blunette had a look of relief in her eyes.

"Thank goodness you two are here," Dawn said.

"What's wrong with him?" Drew asked, pointing at Paul who was still laughing hysterically.

"That," Dawn said, pointing at the fountain. May and Drew turned to see what they hadn't been able to see on the other side of the fountain. Gary stood in the fountain, wearing nothing but a pair of pink boxers with white hearts on them. He was posed in a position that was rather awkward. One hand was behind his head, while the other was on his hip which was jutted out. He was in a classic female model pose.

A Butterfree was hovering in the air next to him, psychic waves radiating from its wings, which must have been what was keeping him in that pose.

May turned away from the scene, finding it awkward to look at a half-naked guy. Especially one she knew.

"Is that Leaf's Butterfree?" she asked Dawn.

"Yes," Dawn said with a nod. "He must have really made her mad."

In the mean time, Drew had joined Paul in his laughing fit. "I've gotta get a picture of this," he cried, taking out his green Pokegear and clicking the camera button. Gary glared at him from his position in the fountain. It seemed that his eyes were the only thing he still had control of. Paul took out his purple Pokegear as well.

"Hey Gary, smile!" he shouted. "Oh wait, you can't!" he yelled, snapping the picture and bursting into a fresh round of laughter.

"Boys," Dawn muttered, staring at them in disbelief.

"I wonder if this had something to do with their truth or dare thing," May mused.

"Truth or dare?" Dawn asked. May began to fill her in as Drew held his Pokegear up to Paul's face.

"I sent the picture to Ash!" he said. The two boys laughed hysterically as Gary's anger built and built.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Hold on, I got a message," Ash said as he reached into his pocket for his red Pokegear. He and Misty had gone up to the boys' hotel room to watch a comedy together. Ash opened the message and immediately busted out laughing as he saw its contents.

Misty stared at him inquisitively. "What's so funny?" she asked. Ash turned the screen so she could see, and soon they were both lying on the bed in uncontrollable laughter.

"That was Leaf's Butterfree in the picture!" Misty gasped, short of breath from laughing. "Gary must have really made her mad today! Leaf normally isn't so cruel. This is why you don't screw over a smart girl."

"Paul dared Gary to squeeze her breasts!" Ash blurted out, still laughing.

Misty went dead silent and guffawed at Ash. "And he actually went along with it?!" she shrieked. "Is Gary stupid?!"

"Yes, and yes," Ash replied. "I hope Leaf doesn't feel violated or anything."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about her. After doing that," Misty said, pointing at the screen," I bet she feels very satisfied."

"I would too," Ash admitted. "Should we keep watching the movie now?"

"Nah, " said Misty, reaching for the remote. "That picture was ten times funnier than this movie." With a click, the screen went blank, and the room went silent.

"Misty?" Ash asked nervously.

"Yes?"

"I really like you. A lot."

Misty felt her heart skip a beat at the words. What was she supposed to say?

"I like you too." _Okay. Good response. Yes. That's what I wanted to say._

Ash leaned a little closer to her, staring into her eyes.

_Oh God, he's going to kiss me. Ash is going to kiss me. I should kiss back, right? Will he like the way I kiss? What if he doesn't like the way I kiss?_

Soon, their lips made contact, and all thoughts were forgotten as Misty focused on the feeling of the kiss. It was gentle, slow and simple, two sets of flesh exploring each other for the first time.

When they drew apart from each other, they stared deeply into each other's eyes.

_That was incredible, _Misty thought. _But was it right? Is this what I want for sure? I really am over Rudy, right? Because it wouldn't be right to lead Ash on if I'm not over Rudy._

As Misty's thoughts swirled in her mind, she began to feel confusion. Her feelings weren't clear on the situation. She didn't know if this was truly what she wanted.

_I can't commit to this right now._

The red-haired girl sprung off of the bed and ran out of the hotel room, not even bothering to close the door behind her.

Ash sat on the bed, staring after her. His heart ached from Misty's reaction to the kiss.

_I guess I shouldn't have done that. She must not have been ready. This is all my fault, _he thought sadly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sorry to leave you with a sad Ash, but that's the way it goes. And I'm sorry that this chapter is a bit shorter than usual. But it was still pretty good, right?

Please review! I always appreciate it when you guys tell me what you think! :)


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